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Book 






CDE^OUCHT DSFOSm 



America in the 
World War 



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A Summary of the Achievements of the Great 
Republic in the Conflict With Germany 



A Romance in Figures 



r 



With numerous tables, diagrams and maps ; a brief history and 
chronology of the conflict ; a description of the weapons and fight- 
ing methods of modern war ; insignia of the American divisions 
(in colors). 



Compiled from many official and unofficial sources. 

by 



A 



• • * 



Colonel Pt S. Bond 
and 
Colonel C. O. Sherrill k 




GEORGE BANTA PUBLISHING COMPANY 
Menasha, Wisconsin 

L~ -J 



.1 

.6fc- 



COPYRIGHT, 1921 

By ^ 

George Banta Publishing Co. 






/ 

NOV 14 1921 



This publication is issued with the consent of the War Depart- 
ment. 

II 



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Sn lift Kmtvxtnn S>nlbter 



III 



Contents 

Preface IX 

Introduction XI 

Brief History of the World War and American 

Participation 1 

Weapons and Services of Modern AVar . 19 

How Battles Are Fought 33 

Statistical Discussion 46 

Summary of Statistics 138 

Chronology of the World War 149 



List of Figures 



Fig. I. The German drives of 19 1 8 12 

Fig. 2. The Allied drives of 19 18 15 

Fig. 3. Infantry and accompanying weapons in attack.... 36 

Fig. 4. Registration under Selective Service Act 48 

Fig. 5. Percent of drafted men physically qualified for 

service, by states 49 

Fig. 6. Quotas contributed to the army by each state 51 

Fig. 7. Troops sailing each month for France and home. . . 58 

Fig. 8. Tons of army supplies shipped to France 60 

Fig. 9. Production of service aeroplane engines for U. S. 

Army to end of each month 87 

Fig. 10. Production of service aeroplanes for U. S. Army 

to end of each month 89 

Fig. II. Service aeroplanes sent to battlefront for A. E. F. 

to end of each month 91 

Fig. 12. Hours spent in air each week by American aero- 
planes at front 93 

Fig. 13. Dates of organization, arrival in France and 

entering the line 103 

Fig. 14. Rifle strength on Western Front, 1918 104 

Fig. 15. Days spent by each division in quiet and active 

sectors 106 

Fig. 16. Distance advanced against hostile resistance by 

each division 107 

Fig. 17. Prisoners captured by each division 108 

Fig. 18. Battle casualties of each division 109 

Fig. 19. American battle deaths by weeks 114 

Fig. 20. Where the army's dollar went 122 

Fig. 21. War expenditures of belligerents 126 

Fig. 22. Comparative strengths, length of front held, etc., 

by Allied Armies 127 

Fig. 23. Kilometers of Western Front held by each of 

Allied Armies, 1918 128 

Fi,g. 24. Percentage of Western Front held each month of 

1918 by each of Allied Armies 129 

Fig. 25. Comparative manufacture of artillery and ammuni- 
tion in first 20 months of war 132 

Fig. 26. Comparative productions of rifles, machine guns 
and explosives during period of American 

participation in the war 133 

Fig. 27. Battle deaths of belligerents in the World War. . . . 134 

VI 



Table 


I. 


Table 


•IT. 


Table 


III. 


Table 


IV. 


Table 


V. 


Table 


VI. 


Table 


VII. 


Table 


VIII. 


Table 


IX, 


Table 


X. 


Table 


XI. 


Table 


XII, 


Table 


XIII. 


Table 


XIV, 


Table 


XV. 


Table 


XVI. 



Table 
Table 

Table 



XVII. 
XVIII. 

XIX. 



Table 


XX. 


Table 


XXI. 


Table 


XXII, 


Table 


XXIII. 


Table 


XXIV, 



List of Tables 

Strength of U. S. Army ; 50 

Strength of various arms of the service. ... 52 

Men inducted into armed forces in wars of 
United States 52 

Training camps and origin of divisions. ... 54 

Thousands of men in the United States 
Army on the first of each month 5^ 

Supplies shipped to France for each service, 
to April, igig 61 

Costs of army construction projects in the 
United States 65 

Average and maximum ranges of field 
artillery, yards 71 

Average rates of fire per gun per day in 
various wars 71 

Expenditures of artillery ammunition in 
various battles 72 

Complete cannon (all calibres) manu- 
factured in America 74 

Characteristics of principal pieces of artil- 
lery used in United States Army 76 

American artillery in France 76 

Comparative rates of production of powder 
and explosives 79 

Machine guns produced to end of 1918. ... 83 

Comparative monthly rates at close of war 
and total production, April 6, 191 7, to 
November iij, 1918, of small arms and 
Ammunition 84 

Aeroplanes delivered to U. S. Army 90 

Food consumed by American Army during 
the war, lbs 97 

Principal items of clothing delivered to the 
army, April, 1917, to June, 1918 100 

American divisions in France each month. . 10 1 

Thirteen major operations in which Ameri- 
cans participated 105 

American awards for valor in action, by 
division and service iii 

Casualties in American Expeditionary 
Forces 112 

Battle deaths per 1,000 in A. E. F 113 

VII 



Table 
Table 



XXIV. 
XXV. 



Table XXVI. 

Table XXVII. 

Table XXVIII. 

Table XXIX. 

Table XXX. 



Table XXXI. 

Table XXXII. 

Table XXXIII. 

Table XXXIV. 



Battle deaths per 1,000 in A. E. F. . . . . 113 

Summary of battle casualties of combat 
divisions 115 

Death rates of disease and battle in Ameri 

can wars per 1,000 men per year 116 

Battle casualties by states 117 

Expenditures by army bureaus 121 

Cost of American wars 123 

Annual expenditures of the government in 
millions of dollars before and after previ- 
ous wars 123 

World War expenditures of belligerent 

nations 124 

Indirect costs of World War 125 

Troops, aeroplanes, and guns of principal 

belligerents, November, 1918 129 

Mobilized strength in battle losses of prin- 
cipal combatants in World War 136 



VIII 



Preface 



Americans love accurate information on subjects of 
national importance and herein will be found enough about 
the World War to satisfy the most voracious mind. There 
is not a phase of the conflict that is not covered, in its 
general aspect, by the facts succinctly presented in this 
little book. Moreover, the information is not presented as 
a mere jumble of facts, but as an interesting and pro- 
gressive narrative. It is a condensed library of interesting 
information and essential facts in connection with the 
greatest event in the history of the world, and especially 
America's participation therein. 

With this book you can answer any questions and con- 
fute many of the careless statements made by people not 
well informed on the subject. How many troops did we 
mobilize and how many did we send to France? How 
much money did we spend and what for? How many 
rifles and aeroplanes did we make? Which American 
division was the first to enter battle, which made the 
greatest advance against hostile resistance? What did 
Americans actually accomplish in battle and in the produc- 
tion of munitions? How many Germans did we capture? 
How many Americans were killed or wounded? What 
were the really decisive events of the great war and when 
did they happen? All this information and much else is 
herein, logically arranged and tabulated for ready 
reference. 

IX 



Do you know all the weapons used by the modern army, 
how they are employed in battle, and just what happens 
during a "drive" ? All is explained and illustrated herein. 
The important operations of American industry are dis- 
cussed in detail, illustrated by figures and tables, and 
summarized. There is found also the shortest complete 
history of the war yet written, and a chronology of its 
important events. 

This volume contains everything a busy man wants to 
and ought to know about the Great War, everything a well 
informed man must know to be able to talk intelligently 
in any company. And it can all be read in a few hours, 
during a single evening or a single trip on the railroad. 
It will prove interesting and the reader will find difficulty 
in laying it down once he has started to read. 



X 



Introduction 



America's part in the World War is the most romantic 
event in history. It is the romance of a young but mighty 
nation, unskilled in the military art, which put forth the 
greatest effort ever witnessed on earth, and became in a 
little over a year the deciding influence in the great 
struggle. And so rapid was the growth of the young 
giant's preparations, that had the war continued for 
another 3'ear America would have been the strongest of all 
the belligerents. Had the war continued two years longer 
the American Army could have faced alone and held in 
check the combined forces of all the other belligerents. In 
two years more America would have created a fighting 
machine superior to that which Germany had been building 
during fifty years. 

Such preparation as we had made prior to our entry into 
the war, was not of our own will or wisdom. Our in- 
dustries were to a great extent on a war basis, as we had 
for years been furnishing supplies and munitions to the 
nations who were to be our allies. 

Our own eft'ort was independent of the assistance we 
continued to render our allies. Throughout the war we 
supplied funds, materials and munitions in vast quantities 
to France, Great Britain and Italy. But we received also 
much assistance from these nations, especially equipment 
such as artillery and aeroplanes, which they were at first 
better prepared than ourselves to manufacture. Had the 

XI 



war continued another j^ear, however, our industries would 
have been sufficiently developed to supply our constantly 
growing armies with practically everything needed for the 
prosecution of the conflict. 

In our preparation for the struggle, due to our ignorance 
and lack of experience, we made many mistakes (though 
few blunders) and suffered great delays. American 
aeroplanes did not reach the front in effective numbers. 
American troops were armed with French cannon and fired 
French ammunition. But it must be remembered that we 
were devoting our efforts chiefly to laying a solid founda- 
tion for later participation. We sacrificed immediate 
production of munitions to preparation for a greater pro- 
duction in the future. This was in accord with the wishes 
of our Allies, America was conducting her operations 
with a view of entering the conflict in force by 1919 and 
developing a sufficient strength to crush Germany (which 
would not have required our full strength) by 1920. This 
latter year would have witnessed for the first time an 
American Army of irresistible strength, provided with 
unlimited munitions. It would have witnessed many pain- 
ful surprises for our enemies in the form of new weapons 
and devices, but especially in the unprecedented scale of 
operations. America is by' far the mightiest of nations in 
men, material, resources and wealth. What we did in the 
late war was merely an indication of what we would have 
done, since the enemy collapsed sooner than we had 
expected. In the words of John Paul Jones, we had not 
begun to fight. 



XII 



Germany, being well aware of America's potential 
strength and of our plans for the future, made desperate 
efforts to forestall us by gaining victory on the Western 
Front before America could effectively intervene. She 
all but succeeded. We were obliged to modify our plans 
for later participation, and to throw all our then available 
strength as rapidly as possible into the conflict. This 
resulted in an apparent confusion and loss of eilficiency. 
But in bringing the war to an early close it effected an 
ultimate saving both of lives and treasure. 

The most gratifying features of America's participation 
in the war are not the facts that we put into the field an 
army which, at the date of the armistice, was larger than 
that of Great Britain; nor that we surpassed our Allies in 
the production of most of the sinews of war. All this was 
to have been expected in consideration of our greater 
population and vastly superior wealth and resources. 

Our chief sources of gratification are the patriotic fervor 
with which our people responded to the call to arms, and 
the gallant conduct of our green troops in battle against 
the best veterans of Germany. Although almost totally 
unprepared at the start we were a,ble to play our part in 
time to insure the victory of civilization over barbarism. 

The great German military machine established and 
perfected by years of effort, worked at first much better, as 
a machine, than the crude and untried American machine. 
But as time wore on American resource, adaptability and 
determination were perfecting an organization that ulti- 
mately proved on the field of battle its superiority over the 
best that Germany could marshal. The individual Ameri- 

XIII 



can soldier was from the outset strikingly superior to the 
German in physical strength, stamina, agility, intelligence 
and aggressiveness. He was a far better shot w^ith the rifle, 
and infinitely more active and dangerous in hand to hand 
combat. The gallant Sergeant York, whom Marshal 
Foch characterized as the greatest individual hero of the 
war, typified the courage and resourcefulness of the 
American soldier. 

But in our pride and satisfaction we should not draw 
any false conclusions from the lessons of war, nor fail to 
appreciate what might have been. Our gallant Allies 
stood between us and our enemies, protected the young 
giant while he was hardening his muscles and girding on 
his weapons. Had we faced our foe alone our lack of 
preparation would have meant sure disaster. We would 
not have been given the opportunity to marshal our forces 
in what, after all, was a most leisurely fashion. Although 
for several months prior to our actual declaration of war 
(April 6, 1917) it was apparent to all thinking persons 
that our intervention was highly probable if not certain, 
yet it was six months later (October, 1917) before an 
American division took its place in the line ; fifteen months 
later (July, 1918), before American troops took any 
decisive part in the conflict; and seventeen months later 
(September, 1918) before an American Army commanded 
by American officers, engaged in battle. 

Let us not overlook nor forget these facts. Potential 
strength and military strength are not synonymous. The 
only strength which counts is that actually brought to bear 
on the field of battle. And in modern war the time 

XIV 



allowed a nation to bring its strength to bear is measured 
not in years nor months, nor even in weeks or days, but in 
hours. To our vast resources of materials, muscle and 
brain we must add a rational military policy of prepara- 
tion in tmie of peace, if the future safety of America is 
to be assured. 

In the following pages the authors have endeavored to 
present a comprehensive general view of America's effort 
in the great war — a "Romance in Figures." These 
statistics have been obtained almost entirely from official 
sources and have been carefully checked and compared. 
We believe they are more complete and accurate than any 
others that have hitherto been presented to the public. 

Statistics are too often cold, dry and uninspiring. These 
will be found not such. They are full of human interest. 
They are not alone statistics, but "a romance in figures." 



XV 



Brief History of the World 

War and American 

Participation 

The World War, 1914-1918, was brought on by an 
apparently trivial event, the assassination of the heir to the 
Austrian throne, June 28, 1914. It opened with an attack 
of Austria on Serbia. In reality the war was the result of 
Germany's ambition for world dominion. The ultimatimi 
of Austria to Serbia was merely the pretext or excuse for 
ushering in a general European War. Russia was under 
treaty to guarantee the integrity of Serbia, and thus be- 
came at once involved. Germany was under similar 
obligation to support Austria, and France was the ally of 
Russia. Thus Germany found the pretext for an attack 
on France. 

First Phase— 1914 

Germany had planned to destroy France, her most 
dangerous opponent, and end the war by a sudden, smash- 
ing offensive through Belgium against Paris. She had 
succeeded in such a "drive" through Lorraine in 1870-1, 
but several conditions prevented a repetition of the coup 
in 1914. The Franco- German frontier was strongly 
fortified by France, and France was fully prepared for 



2 America in the World War 

war, as she was not in 1870. And while Germany did not 
hesitate to violate Belgium's neutrality, that little country's 
gallant defense gained a few vital days of delay, which 
enabled France to completely mobilize her forces and pre- 
pare to meet the onslaught ; and also allowed England, 
who promptly entered the struggle, to transport a large 
part of her then small regular army, across the channel to 
France and Belgium. Another important cause of Ger- 
many's failure in 1914 was the prompt invasion of East 
Prussia by the Russians in two columns, forcing Germany 
to detach two army groups from the Western Front to 
oppose these attacks. 

Under the brilliant leadership of Marshal J off re and 
Gen. Foch, the French were thus enabled decisively to 
defeat the Germans in -the first Battle of the Marne, which 
shattered Germany's well laid plans. This battle was the 
greatest conflict of all time from every point of view : 
number engaged (2,250,000 men), concentration of 
artillery (3,000 guns) ; frontage (150 miles — Paris to 
Verdun) ; and results attained. The first Battle of the 
Marne is the decisive engagement of the war, for without 
this victory by the French the war would have been won 
by the Germans in six weeks as scheduled. This French 
victory was of such stupendous proportions and so unhoped 
for that it is well named "The Miracle of the Marne." 

Simultaneously with the Battle of the Marne, General 
von Hindenl)urg attacked the Russian Army under 
Samsonoff in East Prussia, and won the brilliant victory 
of Tannenberg, August v31, capturing more than 100,000 
Russians Avith countless spoils of war. This battle is to 



Brief History of the World War 3 

be classed as one of the military master-pieces of history, 
comparable with the best examples of Napoleon's genius. 
It expelled the Russians from East Prussia, whereas had 
they continued to occupy the area east of the Vistula the 
later aggressive operations of the Germans would have 
been impossible. Belgium and Russia, while defeated, had 
nevertheless enabled France to win the brilliant and 
decisive victory on the Marne. 

France rushed troops to the west of her line to outflank 
the Germans, but was unable to do more than cause a 
deadlock northward from Amiens to Antwerp. In Octo- 
ber of this year (1914) the Germans reduced Antwerp in 
an effort to capture the Belgian Army, as a preliminary to 
a drive south toward Calais and the other channel ports. 
They captured Lille, but the terrific fighting around Ypres 
in November finally ended the German hopes for the early 
winning of the war by one powerful thrust. 

For a year and a half no further decisive action took 
place on the Western Front. Germany had not won, but 
at the end of the year had made great gains of territory, 
including Belgium and the richest industrial part of 
France, with three-fourths of her coal and iron. In the 
east, the Russians had been driven back on Warsaw, out of 
east Prussia. Turkey had entered the war, bringing the 
threat of a Moslem uprising, a "holy ( ?) war." 

Second Phase™-I9i5 

In the east Germany made a mighty effort during 1915 
to put Russia out of the war, so that the entire German 



4 America in the World War 

strength could be thrown against France, to end the war 
there before England could mobilize her resources in muni- 
tions and men and become a decisive element in the con- 
flict. Italy joined the Entente Allies in May. but her sup- 
port was largely neutralized by the entrance of Bulgaria 
on the other side. 

Russia returned promptly to the attack, again invading 
East Prussia and Galicia, and capturing the great fortress 
of Przemysl with its large garrison of Austrian troops. 
The threat of these operations was so great that Germany 
and Austria, assuming a defensive attitude on other fronts, 
turned all their available strength against Russia to force 
her out of East Prussia, Poland and Galicia. Severe de- 
feats were administered to the Russians in the vicinity of 
the Masurian Lakes and Dunajec River. Lemberg and 
Przemysl were recaptured, the Russians were driven from 
Ivangorod, Novo-Georgievsk, Kovna, Brest-Litovsk, 
Grodno, Vilna and Warsaw. Yet so great was the man- 
power of Russia that in spite of these great defeats and the 
appalling losses involved, she constantly returned to the 
attack. The Germans were unable to capture Riga or to 
put Russia out of the fight. They succeeded however in 
forcing her back sufficiently to avert the threat against 
East Prussia. 

The French and British launched great offensives in the 
West in 1915 but with no appreciable effect. This year 
also saw the unhappy fiasco in the Dardanelles and at 
Gallipoli, when England attempted to cut off Turkey 
from her Teutonic Allies. This was an epic of gallantry 
by British and Australian troops but was barren of results 



Brief History of the World War 



Great Britain controlled the sea but could not prevent 
the growing menace of the German submarines. 

The end of the year was marked by a tremendous offen- 
sive by German, Austrian and Bulgarian troops against 
Serbia, which completely overran that unfortunate little 
country, and raised the morale of the Central Powers to 
a high pitch. The overrunning of Serbia opened up for 
Germany the "Berlin to Bagdad" railway. Train service 
was at once begun, affording direct rail transit between the 
Central Powers and Turkey in Asia. 



Third Phase— 1916 

Germany, having been successful throughout the east 
and southeast in 1915, felt strong enough to drive home 
a victorious offensive against France and Great Britain in 
the west in 1916, and chose the Verdun salient for the 
point of attack. As the first battle of the Marne was 
called "the Miracle," so at Verdun originated the brave 
slogan "On ne passe pas," ("They shall not pass") — 
the verbal expression of the unconquerable determina- 
tion of gallant France. The battle lasted from Febru- 
ary 21 to October 23. It was the most violent encounter 
of the war and has never in history been surpassed in 
ferocity of attack and stubbornness of defense. The 
French displayed a tenacity hitherto unknown outside 
of the Anglo-Saxon race. 

While this desperate struggle was going on between 
the Germans and French, the British were hastening 
preparations for an offensive on the Somme. This 



6 America in the World War 

was launched July 1 and lasted until November 30, re- 
sulting in gains of 6 or 7 miles by the British and French, 
on a front of 30 miles. It gained the Allies a temporary 
initiative on the Western Front, but did not save Rumania 
from being overrun as Serbia had been the year previous, 
or prevent the military collapse of Russia. It was an 
unsuccessful effort to break the trench deadlock and con- 
vert the struggle into a war of movement, being thus the 
failure of the first extensive Allied offensive. About a 
mile a month was gained at a cost of some 200,000 men 
per mile. 

In May 1916, Austria, thinking Russia was out of 
the fight, launched a heavy offensive against Italy on 
the Trentino front, between the Adige and the Brenta. 
This was unsuccessful and in August Italy successfully 
took the offensive in the Gorizia. 

Russia's offensive under Brusiloff on a 300 mile front, 
made substantial gains, and prevented the crushing of 
Italy, but secured no other decisive result; and before 
1917 treason and revolution had almost destroyed Rus- 
sia's fighting power. 

Rumania entered the war August 26, and started a 
spirited offensive in Transylvania with the result that 
two German-Austrian Armies were sent against her, and 
in five months her overthrow was complete and the treaty 
of Bucharest, brutally harsh in its terms, was forced 
upon her. This treaty was repudiated after the final 
victory of the Entente. 

On May 31 of this year occurred the Battle of Jut- 
land, the greatest naval action in history, and the only 



Brief History of the World War 7 

important naval engagement of the great war. This 
battle however, had little if any effect on the outcome of 
the Avar, it served only to confirm the naval superiority 
of Great Britain. 

In the summer of 1916 the Entente Allies held the ini- 
tiative on the Western Front, and were at the height of 
their success and morale. By December 4 Rumania had 
been crushed by the Austro- Germans with a correspond- 
ingly depressing effect on allied morale. Thus the end 
of 1916, like that of the two preceeding years, was marked 
by a great German success, which maintained the morale 
of the German Army and people through the trying months 
of the following winter. The victory over Rumania was 
followed on December 12, by the usual ''peace offensive," 
a "magnanimous offer" of peace by Germany, which was 
declined by the Allies December 30. 

Fourth Phase— 1917 

The opening of this year found the Allied morale at 
a low ebb as a result of the reverses of the previous au- 
tumn. In fact their disintegration was threatened. One 
ally, Rumania, had been placed, hors de combat, and 
another, Russia, was virtually so, as the Revolution in 
Russia, was now well under way. 

The outstanding decisive event of this year was the 
entry of the U. S. into the war on April 6, at a time when 
the man power of the Allies had practically reached its 
limit, and the Germans, as a result of the elimination of 
Russia and Rimiania, were planning to concentrate all 



8 America in the World War 

their force with the Austrians against Italy, this to be 
followed by a final decision on the Western Front in 1918. 
Never in the war had allied morale been so low, and 
notwithstanding that they enjoyed a superiority of num- 
bers on the Western Front, the only operations under- 
taken were local and without decisive result although 
accompanied by severe fighting and heavy losses. The 
British took Messines Ridge June 7, and engaged in a 
series of operations known as the 3rd Battle of Ypres, 
from July 31 to November 10. The French made attacks 
at Verdun and on the Chemin-des-Dames, northeast of 
Soissons. The Italians w^ere routed and driven back to 
the Piave in October and November, losing nearly 
300,000 men, 3,000 guns and vast quantities of supplies. 
Complete disaster was averted by 10 British and French 
divisions sent from the Western Front. 

The Russians finally collapsed at Riga, September 3. 

The German "unrestricted" submarine campaign was 
begun on January 31, and in 5 months following, de- 
stroyed more than 3^ millions of tons of Allied shipping 
— a rate of destruction considerably greater than the com- 
bined shipbuilding rate of the Allied world, clearly 
indicating disaster unless this could be stopped or nullified 
by increased construction. 

In this grave crisis of Allied affairs, the French and 
English Governments through their high commissions to 
America, clearly proved to our President and Congress 
the urgent need for American intervention, not only wdth 
shipping and supplies but with every man available in 
the nation, and as a result the conscription act became 



Brief History of the World War 9 

effective May 18, a decisive battle of the war, fought and 
won beneath the dome of our own capital. Under this 
act over 24 millions of men were registered for service, 
making plain to friends and foes that we were in the war 
in deadly earnest. Henceforth it was only a question of 
holding in check the Germans until our armies were ready 
to enter the line in decisive numbers. Therefore when 
parts of our 1st Division paraded in Paris on July 4, 1917. 
the wildest enthusiasm was aroused at the sight of this 
forerunner of the mighty American Army that was com- 
ing to insure the victory of civilization. 

The remainder of 1917 was devoted by the U. S. to 
preparation for war, and by Germany to making ready 
for the final great western drives, foreseen by the Allies as 
early as the end of 1917. 

Fifth and Last Phase— 1918 

The beginning of this phase found Germany almost 
free from opposition on the east and south, and marshal- 
ing all her available strength on the Western Front, for 
a final desperate effort to gain victory before the American 
intervention should become decisive. She was at the 
height of her numerical superiority over France and Great 
Britain, and enjoyed an at least equal superiority in morale. 
Never had German morale been higher nor Allied morale 
lower. This was plainly indicated by the tremendous 
success attending the opening of the German offensive of 
1918 on March 21. In April, German battalions were 
marching in column through the shattered British lines, 



10 America in the World War 

causing Marshal Haig to issue his memorable order of 
the day which said, "We are fighting with our backs to 
the wall." 

The situation was at this time so critical that defeat for 
the Allies was imminent unless a more concerted and 
effective use of all available forces could be secured and 
unless America could promptly intervene with far larger 
numbers than previously contemplated. To meet the 
former requirement, Marshal Foch was on April 3 chosen 
and appointed commander in chief of the Allied forces. 
This was one of the decisive events of the war, for upon 
this decision largely depended the subsequent success of 
the Allies. The necessary preponderance of man power 
was soon secured by the unparalleled achievement in the 
transfer of American troops to France at the rate of 
300,000 per month, until by the end of July there were 
1,200,000 available for the commencement of Marshal 
Foch's counter offensives, which culminated in the sur- 
render of the German Army on November 11. Only the 
armistice prevented its complete destruction. 

The operations on the Western Front in 1918, in which 
tlie American Army took so conspicuous a part, and which 
brought the war to a sudden close, are described in some 
detail as follows : 



Brief History of the World War 1 1 



German and Allied Drives of 1918 

Fig. 1 shows graphically the last desperate attempt of 
the Germans to gain victory on the Western Front before 
the growing strength of the American Army turned the 
tide of battle. This consisted of 5 drives of unprece- 
dented violence in 5 successive months, beginning March 
21, 1918. Each drive was timed to take advantage of 
the light of the full moon. Each of these was a distinct 
operation. The ground gained by the Germans in each 
drive is shown on the map ; the arrows indicate the lo- 
calities where American troops were engaged. 

The Somme drive. The first and heaviest blow fell on 
the right of the British Army and the junction between the 
French and British. It was launched March 21, on a 
front of 50 miles, and continued until April 6. This drive 
aimed to separate the British and French Armies, to isolate 
the former by the capture of the important railroad center 
at Amiens, and force them back on the channel. It re- 
sulted in driving the British lines back some 40 miles. 
The American troops engaged included some engineers, 
air units, and medical troops, about 2,200 in all. 

The Lys drive. This attack was launched April 9 in 
the vicinity of Armentieres on a 25 mile front, and con- 
tinued until April 27th. It penetrated to a depth of 10 
miles, including the re-capture of Passchendaele Ridge. 
This attack was also against the British Army, but due to 
the desperate resistance of the latter it fell far short of 



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CHAMPAGNE-MARNE 

JULY 15-18 St.Mihiel 



SCALE Of m.i'jO**tr€»S 



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Fig. I. The German drives of 1918. 

Note: The arrows show tlie points at wliich American troops were 
engaged. The following American troops were engaged in these operations: 
Somme: Medical, encineer and air units. 

Lys: Medical and air units and small parts of 77th division. 
Aisne: 2nd and parts of 3rd and 28th divisions. 
Montdidier: 1st division. 
Champagne: 3rd and 42nd and part of 28th division. 



Brief History of the World War 13 

the success attained in the Somme drive. A few Ameri- 
cans, serving with the British, took part. 

The Aisne drive. Contrary to the expectations of the 
AlHes, who were looking for continued attacks upon the 
British, this blow was directed against the French, from 
the vicinity of the famous Chemin des Dames, north of 
the Aisne river between Soissons and Rheims. It was 
launched May 27, on a front of nearly 40 miles, and con- 
tinued with great success to June 5. The drive was ex- 
actly in the direction of Paris and advanced the German 
lines some 36 miles into the Marne pocket, with the 
capture of Soissons, forming a twin salient adjacent to 
that resulting from the Somme drive. At the end of this 
attack the Germans were within 40 miles of Paris. The 
American 2nd Division and parts of the 3rd and 28th 
were hastily thrown into the battle at the very center of 
the German drive. This having been halted on reaching 
Chateau-Thierry, the 2nd Division launched a series of 
vigorous attacks on Jung 4, resulting in the capture of the 
famous Belleau Woods followed by that of Bouresches 
and Vaux, (July 1). 

The N oyon-M ontdidier drive. Having driven into the 
Allied lines two great salients threatening Paris (Somme 
and Aisne drives) the enemy now sought to join these into 
one, bringing their lines still closer to Paris. He attained 
little success as compared with the former attacks, being 
halted after an initial advance of some 5 miles l)y the 
strong resistance of the French and Americans. The 
American 1st Division, still in the sector of Cantigny, 
held the left of the French line. The failure of this drive 



14 America in the World War 

and the heavy losses of the Gennans, did much to restore 
the Allied morale, which had suffered greatly in the 
Somme and Aisne drives. 

The Champagne-Marne drive. This attack, launched 
July 15, between Chateau-Thierry and Somme-Py, was 
the last bid for victoiy by the German army, whose 
relative strength was now rapidly decreasing. Unable 
to advance farther towards Paris the enemy sought to 
widen the dangerous Marne pocket by a drive to the 
southeast, on both sides of Rheims. This attack was 
foreseen by the Allies, and was checked at all points with 
an initial advance of less than 5 miles. The 3rd, 42nd 
and parts of the 28th Divisions took part in the defense, 
the 42nd east of Rheims (at Somme-Py), the- 3rd and 
28th near Chateau-Thierry. 

These two futile efforts marked the turning point of 
the war. From the highly successful drives of March, 
April and May, the Germans were forced into the de- 
fensive, after their savage but unsuccessful efforts of June 
9 and July 15, in both of which, for the first time, 
American troops appeared in force in the Allied battle 
lines, and American morale and fighting efficiency were a 
chief element in the struggle. 

On July 18 Marshal Foch launched the great counter- 
attack against the western flank of the Marne salient, 
commonly called the 2nd Battle of the Marne — the first 
of the great AlHed drives of 1918, that crushed German 
militarism and brought victory to tlie forces of Democracy. 



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JULY ia-AUG6 

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PARIS 




MEUSE-ARGONNE 



SCALC or MILES 



SCALE or KILOMETERS 



ST.MIHIEL. 

so SEPT. 12-16 



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Fig. 2. The Allied drives of 19 18. 

?'foTE: The arrows show the points at which American troops were 
engaged, and the shaded areas the territory captured by them. The follow- 
ing American divisions were engaeed in these operations: 

Aisne-Marne: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th. 26th, 28th, 32nd and 42nd. 

.Somme: 27th, 30th and part of 33rd. 

Oise-Aisne: 28th, 32nd and 77th. 

YpresLvs: 27th, 30th, 37;h and 91st. 

St. Mih'iel: 1st. 2nd. 4th. 5th, 26th, 42nd, 8Jnd, 89tli and 90tli. (3r(l, 
33r(t. 35th, 78th, 80th and 91st in reserve.) 

Meuse-Argonne: 1st. 2nd. 3rd, 4th, 5th. 26th, 28th, 29th, 32nd, 33rd, 
35:h, 37th, 42nd, 77th, 78th, 79th, 80th, 82nd, 89th, 90th and 91st. (6th in 
reserve.) 



16 America in the World War 

Fig 2 shows the gains of the Allied armies from July 
18 to the end of the war. The Allied operations are not 
as easily separated into distinct phases as those of the 
Germans. They formed a practically continuous offen- 
sive on the entire front from Metz to the sea. Never- 
theless certain major phases may be recognized, as follows : 

The Aisne-Marne drive. (2nd Battle of the Marne). 
This drive continued from July 18 to August 6, which 
latter date found the Marne salient wiped out, and the 
Allied lines extending along the Vesle from Rheims to 
Soissons. Eight American divisions under the comm.and 
of the French, took a leading part in this action, 1st, 2nd, 
3rd, 4th, 26th, 28th, 32nd and 42nd. 

The Somrne drive. On August 6 the British launched 
a drive in the Somme region which continued until the 
armistice. The 27th and 30th and part of the 33rd 
American divisions were intermittently engaged. 

The Oise-Aisne drive. This was a continuation of the 
2nd Battle of the Marne. Launched August 18 it con- 
tinued until the armistice. The 28th, 32nd and 77th 
American divisions took part. 

The Ypres-Lys drive. This was launched by the British 
on August 19, and continued to November 11. The 27th, 
30th, 37th and 91st American divisions were engaged. The 
27th and 30th took part in the re-capture of Mt. Kemmel, 
August 31 to September 2. 

The Battle of St. Mihiel. This was the first battle in 
which a distinctively American Army under American 
officers, was launched against the enemy. The 1st Ameri- 
can Army was formally organized on August 10th under 



Brief History of the World War 17 

the personal command of General Pershing. On Sep- 
tember 12, after the most violent artillery bombardment 
in history, the Americans simultaneously attacked both 
flanks of the St. Mihiel salient. The 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 
26th, 42nd, 82nd, 89th and 90th Divisions were in line, 
with the 3rd, 33rd, 35th, 78th, 80th and 91st in reserve. 
In addition certain French colonial troops were included 
in the American Army. In all some 550,000 American 
troops were engaged. On the morning of September 13, 
24 hours after the opening of the attack, troops of the 1st 
and 26th Divisions, advancing from opposite sides of the 
salient, effected a junction at Vigneulles. nipping oif the 
salient and the retreat of all German troops remaining 
in it. 

The Meuse-Argonne offensive. In this, by far the 
greatest battle in American history, 22 combat divisions 
were engaged, as follows: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 26th, 
28th, 29th, 32nd, 33rd, 35th, 37th, 42nd, 77th, 78th, 79th, 
80th, 82nd, 89th, 90th, 91st (6th in reserve). The 
purpose of this battle, as stated by General Pershing was : 
to draw the best German divisions to our front and con- 
sume them. This object was well accomplished, 47 of 
the best German divisions being employed in the enemy's 
vain attempt to check the American advance, which 
eventually cut the main, communications between the two 
wings of the German Army (The Mezieres-Sedan rail- 
road) . The large number of troops employed in the effort 
to stem the American attack greatly facilitated the 
progress of the British and French on other portions of 
the front. 



18 America in the World War 

In 47 days of bitter fighting, September 26 to November 
11, the Americans advanced their lines to Sedan, a dis- 
tance of nearly 35 miles. The important statistics of this 
great battle are given in the "Summar}^" 

The foregoing account includes only the outstanding 
events of the war, those which chiefly influenced the final 
outcome, and those in which Americans are especially 
interested. 



Weapons and Services of 
Modern War 

The conduct of war, tactics, or the methods of combat 
— whatever we may call it — is determined by three princi- 
pal conditions: 1st, the kind of weapons used by both 
sides; 2nd, the scale on which operations are conducted, 
as determined by the population, wealth and industrial 
eflficiency of the warring nations ; and 3rd, the means of 
transportation. There are, of course, a vast number of 
minor influences, many of them very important, which 
affect the conduct of war, but they are in general only 
incidental to the above. 

Of these three principal conditions the most important 
is the nature of the weapons. The population, wealth, 
resources and transportation equipment of the combatants 
are important chiefly insofar as they make possible the 
employment of various weapons on a vast scale. To 
understand how the World War was fought it is therefore 
necessary to know the principal weapons and how they 
they were used. 

Warfare is man's oldest occupation, and the first 
weapons employed by primitive man were clubs, lances, 
axes and knives. With such weapons all fighting was, 
of course, "hand to hand." The advantage of being 
able to kill an enemy from a distance was early appre- 
ciated. This could be done only by throwing something at 



20 America in the World War 

him. The first missiles used were stones, thrown by hand, 
or with the aid of a sling, spears or javelins and the bow 
and arrow. Little improvement was made in weapons until 
the invention of gunpowder and fire-arms ushered in a 
new era in warfare. From this time up to the present, 
fighting methods have changed and developed chiefly from 
the increase in the size, power, range and number of fire- 
arms. These are now the principal weapons of warfare, 
and military tactics or fighting depends upon the power of 
these weapons and the methods of using them. 

Principal Weapons Used in the World 

War 

Rifle. The rifle is the weapon carried by the infantry 
soldier, and the American Springfield is the most deadly 
of all rifles. This rifle will kill farther than the eye can 
ordinarily see — hits have been made at 2,000 to 3,000 
yards, or nearly two miles. Actual ranges in battle seldom 
exceed 1,000 to 1,200 yards, and most of the fire during 
the World War was delivered inside of 700 yards, at what 
are called "battle ranges." The magazine of the rifle 
holds five cartridges and a properly trained soldier can fire 
from five to ten shots per minute at moderate ranges. 
Rifle fire is directed only against men and animals, and 
armor affords a protection. 

Machine Guns. The machine gun is an automatic 
weapon, loaded and fired by the force of recoil. It fires 
the same bullet as the. rifle, is mounted on a tripod and can 



Weapons and Services of Modern War 21 

deliver from 400 to 1,000 shots per minute. The fire of a 
machine gmi is thus aptly likened to a stream of water 
from a hose. It can rain a continuous stream of bullets 
upon any selected area. It is moved about on wheels, in a 
cart drawn by men or animals, or on the back of an animal, 
but can be carried short distances by a single man. 

The machine gun cannot move about as readily as a 
soldier with a rifle, but its fire is equal to that of 50 men. 
Being so dangerous a weapon it has naturally developed 
a large number of enemies, such as tanks, artillery of 
smaller sizes, to whose fire it is very vulnerable if its 
position is known. And as its range is short (only 3,000 
yards) it must operate close to the front, in dangerous 
places. 

So important is the machine gun in defense that it is 
employed in large numbers close to the front usually 
located in groups called "nests." To evade hostile fire 
these guns are carefully concealed, and often provided 
with bomb-proof shelter for the gun and crew which 
furnishes almost complete protection except from direct 
hits ^by artillery. 

Automatic rifes. The automatic rifle is a compromise 
l)etween the machine gun and the ordinary magazine rifle. 
It was devised to secure a higher rate of fire than the 
rifle, and a greater mobility than the machine gun. It is 
carried by a single individual and fired from the shoulder 
like an ordinary rifle. It operates automatically, how- 
ever, its magazine holding 20 or more cartridges. 

Pistols and revolvers. These weapons are used only 
for fighting at close quarters, in trenches, buildings or 
other restricted places where the rifle would be unwieldy. 



22 America in the World War 

Grenades. These are small bombs which may be thro^vll 
by hand or shot a distance of some 200 yards by a rifle. 
The grenade is a product of "trench Avarfare." It Avas 
designed primarily to reach an enemy in a trench at a 
short distance, where he was immune from rifle fire; and 
when the combatants are stationary, grenades are used in 
great numbers. 

Aero bombs. These are charges of high explosives in 
steel cases, which are dropped from aeroplanes and ex- 
plode on striking the ground. They vary in size from 25 
to 1,000 pounds or more. There is, of course, no limit on 
their size except cost and the carr^dng power of aeroplanes. 
These bombs are seldom used to attack troops, unless a 
favorable target, such as a mass of men in the open, is 
presented. Their principal purpose is to destroy hostile 
works or materials, such as camps and cantonments, 
''dumps" of supplies including ammunition, roads, rail- 
roads, bridges, and factories, depots, cities, etc., which 
cannot be reached by the artillery. 

Mines. These are charges of explosives, buried in the 
ground, which explode when troops, transport or tanks 
pass over them, .or at will by means of electric wires lead- 
ing to the mines. 

IUu7nina7its and pyrotechnics. These are not properly 
weapons as they inflict no damage. Illuminanfs include 
searchlights, flares, illuminating shells, rockets and bombs, 
parachute lights, etc. They are used in night attack and 
defense. Pyrotechnics, including lights and colored 
smoke, are used as signals by night and day. 



Weapons and Services of Modern War 23 

Flame throwers. These are portable or semiportable 
devices which throw streams of flaming liquids by the 
force of compressed air. They are very effective against 
masses of troops at close range. 

Knives and bayonets. These weapons are of course 
employed only in hand to hand combat, which is relatively 
infrequent in modern war. Nevertheless all infantry men 
are equipped with the bayonet, which converts the rifle into 
a lance. The moral effect of this weapon, and the con- 
fidence inspired by its possession, are very great, and all 
infantrymen are thoroughly trained in its use. 

Artillery. Artillery is the most pow^erful, and next 
to the rifle, perha.ps, the most important weapon of modern 
war. It throws projectiles varying in weight from about 
1 to 2,500 pounds, to distances up to 75 miles. Else- 
where in this volume (See "Artillery") the characteristics 
and uses of the various classes of artillery are described 
in some detail and are tabulated. Artillery relies for its 
effect on the explosion of the projectile, either at the end 
of a certain time, or on striking any solid object. The 
fire of artillery is directed against all the personnel and 
all the materiel of the enemy. Nothing is proof against 
its destructive power. 

The sole function of artillery in battle is to prepare for 
and support the attack (or defense) of the infantry. In 
performing this function it is employed in a variety of 
ways. It bombards the trenches and shelters of the enemy, 
harasses his troops in camp or on the march, and his trans- 
port on the roads. A most important function is to fire 



24 America in the World War 

on the hostile artillery, either to destroy it or to keep 
down its fire. 

The "barrage," a familiar term in the World War, 
is a wall or curtain or a continuous stream of exploding 
shells from a large number of guns, upon a belt of land 
parallel to the front. The defender lays such a barrage 
in front of his lines when attacked in order to force the 
attacking infantry to suffer great losses in passing 
through it. The attacker employs a barrage which moves 
forward by jumps immediately in front of his infantry as 
it advances. The purpose of this barrage is to force the 
defender's infantry to stay down in their trenches and 
shelters, where they cannot fire on the advancing infantry 
of the attacker. 

Trench mortars are pieces of relatively short range 
(up to 2,000 yards) which fire projectiles containing 
very large charges of explosive. These guns can reach 
qnly the advanced works of the enemy. 

Anti-tank guns are light pieces placed well up to the 
front in concealed positions to fire on any hostile tanks 
that may appear. Anti-aircraft guns are light, quick fir- 
ing pieces, having special mounts to permit vertical fire 
against air-craft. 

Poisoji gases. Poison gas was first employed on a large 
scale in the late war. It is applied by means of shells 
containing gas in a liquid form. When these burst the 
gas is released and evaporates. Areas or zones in the 
hostile lines are drenched with gas by concentrations of 
artillery fire. Large areas may thus be rendered deadly 
for troops not wearing masks. Masks have been developed 



Weapons and Services of Modern War 25 

which afford complete protection, but if troops can be 
taken by surprise with their masks off, great damage may 
be inflicted. Moreover the necessity of wearing masks 
greatly reduces the fighting power of the hostile troops. 
Gas shells, of course, are employed only against person- 
nel. 

Tanks. The tank, a development of the World War, 
is exclusively an offensive weapon. It is an armored 
tractor, carrying machine guns and light cannon. It 
• precedes the infantry in attack, cuts passages through 
barbed wire entanglements, and knocks out hostile machine 
guns. The effect of tanks is largely moral. They give 
confidence to the infantry following them, and the advance 
of a line of these monsters is a fearsome sight to the 
defender's infantry in their trenches. 

Aeroplanes. The aeroplane, first used for military pur- 
poses in the late war, has become a most valuable auxiliary 
arm of the service. Various types of aeroplanes of 
different sizes, speeds and armament, are employed for 
various purposes. The general functions of aeroplanes 
are stated as follows : 

(a) To gather information of the enemy, by direct 
observation, and by taking^ photographs of the terrain 
along the hostile lines and in rear thereof. 

(b) To direct the fire of the artillery by observing and 
signaling the places where shells fall. 

(c) To carry messages and maintain communication 
between commanders and their troops engaged in battle. 



26 America in the World War 

(d) To attack and harass hostile troops in camps or 
on the march and transport on the roads, by bombing and 
machine gun fire. 

(e) To bomb hostile establishments of all kinds, es- 
pecially those too far in rear to be effectively reached 
by artillery fire. 

(f) To fight and destroy the hostile aircraft, thus 
gaining control of the air. The aeroplanes designed es- 
pecially for aerial combat must have high speed and 
great maneuvering power. They are armed with machine ^ 
guns and sometimes with light cannon. 

Aeroplanes communicate with the ground and with 
each other by means of the wireless telegraph and tele- 
phone, dropped written messages, streamers, lights (in- 
cluding small searchlights), and pyrotechnics. 

The foregoing are the principal weapons used in the 
World War, which chiefly determined the character of 
the conflict. There were in addition certain "services" 
of a non-combatant nature, whose functions are of suffi- 
cient importance to deserve passing notice. 

Intelligence. The proper planning of military opera- 
tions both for attack and defense demands that the com- 
mander be informed as to the strength and dispositions 
of the enemy, the nature of his armament and defenses, 
his resources, his activities and his probable intentions as 
indicated by these activities. Accordingly in every army 
there is a great intelligence or information service, whose 
duty it is continually to gather information from all pos- 
sible sources, and to compile, study and interpret this in- 
formation. From these studies the enemy's intentions are 



Weapons and Services of Modern War 27 

divined, and plans to circumvent them prepared, and the 
best manner, time and place at which to attack him are 
decided. The sources of this information are numerous. 
Chief amongst them are the following : 

(a) Prisoners of war. Local inhabitants. 

(b) Captured documents, maps, plans, newspapers, 

diaries, etc. 

(c) Captured supplies, materials, equipment and 

weapons. 

(d) Reconnaissance of the enemy's works and disposi- 

tions. 

(e) Aeroplane reconnaissance and air photographs. 

(f) Terrestrial observation stations or balloons over- 

looking the hostile positions. 

(g) Spies. 

(h) Flash and sound ranging, to determine the loca- 
tion of hostile artillery. 

Co77i7Jitinication. In order that the operations of a great 
army, distributed over perhaps thousands of miles of 
territory, may be effectively combined and coordinated, it 
is essential that every practical means of intercommunica- 
tion be developed and employed to the utmost. The 
methods of communication include all those known to 
science, chief amongst which may be mentioned : 

(a) Telephone and telegraph, including wireless. 

(b) Couriers and messengers on foot, horseback, 

motorcycle, etc. 

(c) Carrier pigeons and dogs. 



2S America in the World War 

(d) Visual and auditory signaling, by flag, flash, 

lights, smoke, pyrotechnics, gun-fire, horns, 
etc., etc. 

(e) Aeroplanes. 

Medical service. The functions of the medical service 
in war are not alone humanitarian but also, and primarily 
tactical. It endeavors to maintain the health and fighting 
efficiency of the troops by establishing sanitary conditions 
throughout the theater of Avar, by preventing and curing 
disease, and separating the sick from contact with other 
troops. It repairs the ravages of battle by giving the 
wounded prompt and effective treatment with a view to 
returning them to full duty as soon as possible. To 
accomplish these purposes medical officers and troops 
occupy every area and are attached to every organization. 
On the field of battle the litter bearers and ambulances of 
the medical department pick up the wounded and trans- 
port them with all possible speed to properly equipped 
surgical stations where the necessary operations are per- 
formed. The wounded are then placed in hospitals and 
subsequently are sent to recuperation camps, whence they 
are returned to their organizations. 

The medical department thus maintains at the highest 
standard of efficiency the most important item of the 
nation's equipment for war — its men. 

Construction. From the battle line where the infantry 
digs the trenches that protect it from hostile fire to the 
base ports where great docks and warehouses are erected, 
the entire theater of war is covered with the construction 



Weapons and Services of Modern War 29 

incident to warfare. At the battlefront the combatant 
forces construct their defenses, including trenches, shelters, 
obstacles, emplacements for artillery and machine guns. 
The routes of communication, roads, railroads, canals and 
rivers, must be maintained, and new routes added. Struc- 
tures and installations of every kind must be built, bar- 
racks, hospitals, warehouses and machine shops for all 
the vast equipment, water supply, sewerage and lighting 
systems, wharves and docks, etc. 

This construction is supervised and in large part 
executed by engineer troops, though other troops of all 
kinds contribute their labor. The magnitude of the con- 
struction task is indicated by the statistics given. 

Transportation. Transportation has been mentioned as 
one of the three principal influences which determine the 
nature of modern war. In the late conflict the Allied 
nations drew the sinews of war from every corner of the 
globe. The accumulated resources of all earth were 
assembled for the overthrow of German militarism. This 
would have been impossible except for the marvels of 
modern transportation. 

The supplies and equipment are assembled from their 
sources, into the great army depots by steamship and rail- 
road. Thence they are sent by rail to the distributing 
points and to "railheads" close in rear of the combatant 
forces. For the final distribution of these supplies to the 
troops who consume them, however, recourse is had to 
light railways, motor and horse drawn vehicles. The 
combatant forces employ vast trains of motors for this 
purpose. When the troops advance rapidly beyond the 



30 America in the World War 

established limits of rail transport, the strain on the motor 
transport and animals is tremendous. 

But it is not alone in the movement of supplies that 
modern transportation determines the vast scale on which 
war is now conducted. The sudden concentrations of 
hundreds of thousands, even millions of fighting men to be 
launched in great "drives" against the enemy, which often 
take place in periods measured by hours, could not be 
accomplished by marches on foot. They are eifected by 
the same means employed for the assembly and distribu- 
tion of supplies. 

The Service of Supply. Modern war, unlike primitive 
war is fought not with men alone, but with materials. 
Generally speaking the combatant controlling the greatest 
material resources, provided he is reasonably prepared in 
advance to utilize them effectively, must ultimately win 
any war. Our statistics elsewhere, give some idea of the 
amount and variety of supplies required. To furnish these 
it is necessary, in a great war, that the government assume 
control of all the agricultural, mineral and industrial 
resources of the nation. Behind the combatant army in 
the field is another far greater army engaged in supplying 
the fighting men with the materials necessary to the 
prosecution of the conflict. In the organized military force 
itself at least one man in each three is engaged in the 
service of supply in some form or other. 

The fundamental scheme of supply is simple, for every- 
thing in war must be as simple as possible if it is to suc- 
ceed. The supplies from the home country or elsewhere 
are shipped to the theatre of war. Here they are 



Weapons and Services of Modern War 31 

assembled in a series of depots, larger depots in rear, 
smaller ones, when necessary, closer to the front. These 
depots are all served by rail, and their number and loca- 
tion depends on the military situation and the available 
rail facilities. From these depots the supplies are sent by 
rail as needed to a number of great railroad yards known 
as "regulating stations," each serving a portion of the 
"front" occupied by the fighting forces. From these 
regulating stations trains are sent daily to each division, 
the trains going as far forward as practicable to "rail- 
heads" close in rear of the troops. Upon reaching rail- 
heads the supplies are delivered to the motor truck and 
animal drawn trains of the combatant forces, by which 
they are again taken as far forward as possible, and 
delivered to the troops. Food and ammunition for the 
troops in the very front lines are usually carried up by 
hand. Thus we have three main relays, by rail, motor 
truck and hand, the last two of which should be made as 
short as possible. Other means of transportation, such as 
canals and light railways, are also utilized. The latter are 
especially useful in delivering ammunition to the artillery. 

Excessive accumulations of supplies or "dumps" near 
the front are usually avoided, as these interfere with the 
rapid movements of troops which are characteristic of 
modern war, also in case of a successful attack by the 
enemy such supplies' may be captured or destroyed. Ac- 
cordingly the amounts needed are sent forward by rail 
daily, or as often as required. 

At the great depots far enough in rear to be immune 
from enemy interference, surpluses sufficient to meet the 



32 America in the World War 

needs of the army for from one to three months are kept 
on hand. This renders the army independent of emer- 
gencies in the flow of supplies from the home-land. 

As the army moves forward in attack or in following up 
a retreating enemy, the problem of supply reaches its most 
acute stage. The gap between the advancing forces and 
their railheads must be covered by motor transport on the 
roads. Additional motor trucks are brought up, and there 
is great activity in repair of roads. The railheads are 
pushed forward as rapidly as possible to lessen the gap 
and reduce the strain on the motor transport. For this 
purpose new and very rapid railroad construction is 
usually required. 



How Battles Are Fought 

Having become acquainted with the weapons of modern 
war, let us now look at the conflict in which these weapons 
are employed. The account which follows is of methods 
used in the World War. 

Success in battle demands team work or united action 
by a large number of individuals, in fact by all the indi- 
viduals engaged, and this is secured by means of organiza- 
tion. A number of men are combined into a small 
organized unit under the command of one man. In the 
infantry the smallest unit is a "squad" of eight men, in 
the artillery it is the crew which serves a single gun. 
Small units are combined to form larger ones until ulti- 
matelv the entire organized forces of a nation or alliance 
form a single great unit under the control of one man in 
the theatre of operations, known as the commander in 
chief. 

In the armies of all modern civilized nations the 
smallest complete combat unit is known as a "division." 
This is a unit varying in strength from 1 0,000 to 30,000 
men, and including all arms of the service, so that it 
forms a self contained fighting force. As the organiza- 
tion of the division is similar in all armies a description of 
an American division will suffice. It consisted essentially 
of four regiments of infantry of about 3,600 men each, 
three battalions of machine guns controlling 120 guns, 
and three regiments of light field artillery (3" and 6") 



34 America in the World War 

including 72 guns. The principal auxiliary troops of the 
division included a signal battalion to maintain communica- 
tion between its parts, a regiment of engineers to repair 
roads and bridges and supervise the construction of field 
fortifications, etc., medical troops to care for the sick and 
wounded, and finally the trains of motor and animal 
drawn vehicles, which haul the supplies of the division 
from railhead to the troops. Other auxiliary troops were 
attached temporarily to the division as needed. These 
included air service, cavalry, tank corps, trench mortars, 
etc. The usual strength of the American division was 
about 28,000 officers and men, and some 8,000 animals. 

A number of divisions, two or more, are combined to 
form a corps. The corps also includes a strong additional 
force of artillery, of greater range and power than that of 
the division, and additional auxiliary troops in such num- 
bers as required. Several corps are combined to form an 
army, which includes also a further large force of artillery 
of all calibres, an air force, tanks and other auxiliary 
troops of all kinds. A number of armies form an army 
group. Such is the organization for battle. 

In the late war the numbers engaged on both sides were 
so great that each combatant was able to occupy the entire 
frontier, thus opposing a continuous line of battle to the 
adversary, leaving no exposed "flanks" or unguarded inter- 
vals into which he might penetrate. 

In this situation the procedure of battle consists in the 
apparently simple but really intricate and difficult process 
of the infantry of one side advancing and occupying 
territory formerly held by the other. Thus a desperate 



How Battles Are Fought 35 

struggle culminating in a great victory is often briefly 
described somewhat as follows : "Americans advanced ten 
miles on a fifty mile front." It might appear that the 
mere occupation of ground would hardly constitute 
"victory." Yet actually such is the case. If the defender 
remains to dispute the ground, and is unable to check the 
advance of the hostile infantry, he suffers heavy losses in 
killed, wounded and captured men, equipment and sup- 
plies. This, if continued, must ultimately break down his 
power of resistance. If, on the other hand, he withdraws 
before the hostile advance, he still suffers great losses and 
demoralization from the enemy's fire; he is forced back 
at greater or less speed until he reaches a point where he 
must either demonstrate his ability to prevent a further 
advance of his opponent, or else have his own territory 
invaded and gradually lose the resources necessary to con- 
tinue the struggle. Thus victory consists in the seizure of 
territory formerly held by the enem^y, and the area thus 
seized is usually a fair measure of the importance of the 
victory. 

A successful attack against a fortified front requires a 
considerable excess of strength over the defender. The 
attacker cannot have such an advantage along his entire 
frontier. He therefore selects for attack a certain locality 
where he is most likely to succeed or where success will 
give the most important results. The attacker then masses 
his forces at the locality selected by using his reserves and 
withdrawing troops from other portions of the front. The 
element of surprise is very important, since if the defender 
knew of the impending attack he could in his turn mass 



% 



'i % 



4 ^ P II 



J<- 






■ - >aA«^ 




a 



"^ 



How Battles x\re Fought 37 

liis troops and material at tlie threatened locality. Accord- 
ingly the attacker's troops and equipment are assembled 
secretly, movements being made by night, and the troops 
hidden in the woods by day. Every precaution is taken 
to conceal all activities that might betray the attacker's 
intentions. 

Having assembled his troops, machine guns, artillery, 
tanks, aeroplanes and supplies of all kinds at the selected 
locality, the attacker is now ready to deliver his assault, see 
figure 3; in other words to send his infantry forward to 
occupy the ground held by the defender. But the de- 
fender's lines consist of infantry armed with the rifle and 
sheltered by trenches, supported by machine guns, some of 
them in covered emplacements. Also, as the attacker's 
infantry moves forward the defender's artillery will lay 
down a barrage or curtain of exploding shells through 
which the attacker must pass. It is utterly impossible for 
infantry to advance in the open against the unrestricted 
fire from infantry, machine guns and artillery, especially 
as this advance must usually be made through barbed wire 
entanglements. Accordingly if the attack is to succeed, the 
defender's fire, of all kinds, must be restricted or held 
down. This is accomplished by the overwhelming fire of 
all the attacker's weapons, and the attack is thus a 
combination of fire and movement. 

The attack usually opens with a sudden and violent 
bombardment by the concentrated artillery of the assailant. 
The bombardment may last for days, but is usually limited 
to a few hours in order to give the defender no time to 
bring up additional troops, as the bombardment of course 



38 America in the World War 

announces the attack. The purpose of this bombardment 
is to cut passages through the barbed wire, to destroy the 
trenches, machine gun emplacements and other works of 
the defender, to kill or drive out the infantry in the 
trenches, to demoralize the defender's reserves, to destroy 
his artillery or prevent it from firing, to sweep with fire 
and render impassable the roads by which the defender's 
reserves and supplies must move up — and generally to 
demoralize the defense in every possible way. This pur- 
pose is never fully accomplished, but to the extent that this 
artillery preparation is thorough, the advance of the 
attacker's infantry is rendered easy. 

The defender's artillery, in its turn, endeavors to 
demoralize the preparations for the attack, by firing on the 
hostile artillery, on the known or supposed localities of the 
hostile infantry, and on the routes by which it must move 
forward. The defender mans his trenches with additional 
infantry and disposes his reserve troops at suitable locali- 
ties to oppose the attack. 

However great the attacker's fire, it has nevertheless been 
found impossible as a rule to "shoot the defender out of 
his position." Victory must be clinched by the advance of 
the infantry. Accordingly, immediately upon the conclu- 
sion of the preliminary bombardment, the attacl^er's in- 
fantry "jumps off" and advances on the defender. The 
advance is made in a number of successive "waves" or 
lines of skirmishers following each other at distances of 
20 to 100 yards or more. The men in each wave are 
separated by intervals of 5 to 10 yards in order that no 



How Battles Are Fought 39 

dense masses may be presented as a favorable target for the 
defender. 

As this advance of the infantry is prepared by fire so it 
is supported by fire as it moves forward. This is ac- 
complished by the fire of the attacking infantry itself and 
the machine guns and light cannon which accompany it, 
and also by the barrage and covering fire of the artillery. 
As the infantry jumps off for the advance, the artillery of 
the attack lays a rain of shells upon the zone of infantry 
trenches and machine gun emplacements which constitute 
the defense. The purpose of this fire is to force the de- 
fenders to keep their heads down and to remain in the 
bottoms of their trenches, shell holes, dugouts and other 
shelters until the attacking infantry is upon them. They 
are thus unable to fire effectively and so stop the advance. 
This zone of barrage and covering fire is made as deep as 
possible, beginning immediately in front of the attacking 
infantry, in order to cover all hostile infantry and machine 
guns which might be able to fire on the attacker's infantry, 
advancing in the open. Often the depth of the zone of 
covering and supporting fire is as great as 1,000 yards. As 
the infantry moves forward immediately behind the bar- 
rage, the near edge of the latter advances by leaps at the 
same rate as the infantry, this forming what is called a 
"rolling" or "jumping" barrage. 

So long as the infantry is able to advance under the 
protection of the barrage, it continues to do so with little 
fire on its own part — that is to say little rifle fire by the 
attacking troops. Upon reaching a trench occupied by the 
defender, certain of the attacking troops "clean up" the 



40 Amkrica in iiik AN'okld War 

trench by killing or capturing any of the defender's ni- 
fantry who remain therein. The rest of the attacker's 
infantry continue to follow the barrage as closely as pos- 
sible, continuously advancing into the zone of the 
defender. However effective the bombardment and bar- 
rage may be, there will still remain numbers of the 
defender's infantry who have not been reached by fire, and 
these mav bring to bear so heavy a fire of their own ritles 
and machine guns as to check the advance. Should this 
happen the attacking infantry may signal its artillery to 
hold the barrage in one position for a time, and increase 
its violence at the dangerous locality. The infantry will 
also have recourse to its own rifle fire and the fire of its 
accompanying Aveapons in overcoming such resistance. 
Additional troops are sent forward to reinforce the attack- 
ing waves. The attacking infantry, taking advantage of 
anv shelter afforded by the ground, endeaA'ors to envelop 
or surround the areas from which the hostile resistance 
comes, thus bringing converging or concentric fire upon 
them. When this local resistance is overcome, the attack- 
ing infantry resumes its advance. As the leading waves of 
infantry become exhausted or decimated by fire, fresh 
troops from the reserves are brought up to carry on the 
forward movement. 

This attack, which is a combination of fire and forward 
movement, is continued as long as possible. If it succeeds 
in "breaking through" the organized defense, and espe- 
cially if it overruns the defender's artillery positions in 
rear of his lines of trenches, it may force him to retreat in 
disorder. In this case the defender's fire ceases to be 



How Battles Are Fought 41 

effective, and the attacking infantry is able to advance Avith 
great rapidity, encountering little or no resistance. 

Eventually, however, the forward movement is brought 
to a halt, at least temporarily, by one or more circum- 
stances. The defender's resistance may increase as the 
attack progresses, due to his bringing up. and putting in 
action his reserves of both infantry and artillery. Also the 
defender will seldom limit himself to a purely passive 
defense by fire alone. He utilizes his reserves to launch 
"counter-attacks" against his enemy. These attacks are 
delivered in the same manner as a regular attack. They 
may be local or may cover an extended front. H delivered 
suddenly, by surprise and in force, against the hostile in- 
fantry in the open, and especially if they can strike it 
in flank, counter-attacks may be successful in checking the 
advance, even in forcing it back and reversing the situa- 
tion. Counter-attacks in flank may be possible if portions 
of the assailant's forces have advanced far beyond their 
neighbors on either side, thus exposing their flanks. 

In a rapid advance the attacking infantry will eventu- 
ally go l)eyoncl the range of its supporting artillery. H at 
this time the defender's resistance is so strong that artillery 
support is essential for a further advance, it will be 
necessarv to halt until the guns can be brouglit forward. 
"Tlie supplv of food and ammunition also becomes increas- 
inglv difficult as the advance continues, and a hah will 
eventuallv be necessary while shell-torn roads are repaired 
so that the artillery and trucks carrying supplies and 
ammunition may come forward. The defender, if driven 
from his advanced position, will often, in fact usually 



42 America in the World War 

does have another prepared position in rear, occupied by 
fresh reserves. This position will be intact, as it has not 
been subjected to bombardment, and may offer a stronger 
resistance than the one in front. 

A too rapid and long continued advance of the at- 
tacker's infantry, beyond the range of its supporting artil- 
lery, invites disaster in the form of a counter-attack by the 
defender, unless the latter is very weak and inactive. Ac- 
cordingly the attacker usually decides in advance of his 
attack, the extreme limit to which it will probably be 
practicable and safe for his infantry to go. This position 
is called an "objective" or "interm.ediate objective," and 
its capture completes a "phase" of the attack. Upon 
reaching this limit circumstances, especially the nature of 
the defender's resistance, will decide whether the advance 
may be at once continued. If not, a halt is made, during 
which preparations for the next phase of the attack are 
completed. These preparations will include repairing 
roads, bringing up the reserves, artillery and supplies, 
organizing the barrage and covering fire for the next 
advance. And if the halt has been made in front of a 
second prepared position another preliminary bombard- 
ment may be necessary. 

The halt on any "objective" and the consequent lull in 
the action usually gives the defender opportunity to' 
organize a counter-attack in force — an opportunity of 
which he may be expected to take full advantage. Accord- 
ingly the first duty of the attacking infantry upon halting 
on any objective, is to "dig in" or intrench and hold the 
ground it has won, by the usual methods of defense. 



How Battles Are Fought 43 

An attack on a la,rge scale against an enemy well 
intrenched, may involve months of preparation, during 
which the opposing forces remain in position facing each 
other, and the front is what is known as "quiet." The 
usual activities on a "quiet" front include more or less 
continuous artillery and machine gun f.re, "sniping," 
raids and small attacks, and activity in the air, each 
combatant endeavoring to find out what the other is doing 
or intends to do. During these periods of calm each 
combatant builds elaborate trenches and shelters along the 
front, and prepares other fortified lines in rear to which 
he may retreat if driven out of his forward position. The 
great strength and resisting power of these fortified posi- 
tions is the cause of the "trench deadlocks" so character- 
istic of the late war, in which the battle lines often 
remained in practically the same positions, for months and 
even years at a time. 

The attack on such a position is made with almost 
machine-like precision in accordance with a very definite 
schedule, and great reliance is placed on a heavy fire of 
artillery. When the defender has been forced out of his 
prepared position into open and unfortified terrain, there 
is a marked change in the nature of the operations and 
events follow each other with greater rapidity. Because 
of the difficulty of bringing up the artillery and its 
anmiunitibn, and the fact that the ground is not so well 
known, there Avill be a considerable falling off in the 
intensity of artillery fire. The infantry will maneuver 
with greater rapidity and depend more on the fire of its 
own weapons in overcoming the enemy's resistance. The 



44 America ix iiie World War 

continuity of the front may l)c destroyed, there will be 
coml)ats between relatively small forces at various locali- 
ties, and opportunities for attack and counter-attack 
against the enemy's flanks. This continues until the 
aggressive combatant has advanced so far that he is com- 
pelled to halt until he can reorganize his system of supply, 
and make other preparations to continue the "drive." 
Both sides then resort again to elaborate intrenchment. 
and another period of calm and "stabilization" ensues. 

However highlv fortified the front may be, it cannot 
resist a strong attack unless properly manned with infantry 
and artillery and their accessory arms. It is impossil)le 
for any combatant to maintain at every point along his 
entire frontier sufficient troops to resist a powerful attack, 
and it is this fact which lends interest and variety to the 
contest. Actually the fortified fronts are as a rule rather 
lightly held, a large part of the available troops being "in 
reserve," at convenient localities in rear. These reserves 
are moved about bv rail, motor truck or marching, and are 
thus massed at the localities where attacks are to be de- 
livered or met. Regardless of the relative strength of the 
forces as a whole, victory will l.-e gained by the combatant 
who can most rapidly mass his reserves at one vital point. 
Therefore secrecy, surprise and rapidity in transportation 
of troops and supplies, are of the utmost importance to 
both the attacker and the defender. It ^\ill be abundantly 
evident that passive measures alone will never attain de- 
cisive results. The greater the reserves at the disposal of 
a commander, the better his transportation facilities, the 
more accurate his information respecting the enemy's 



How Battles Are Fought 45 

dispositions and the greater the secrecy with which he 
guards his own — the more readily will he be able to con- 
rentrate superior strength at the critical point, Avhich is 
the evident means of victory. 



Statistical Discussion 



Creating an Army 

Following the declaration of war on April 6, 1917, 
America's first and greatest step in the campaign to crush 
German militarism, was the enactment of the Selective 
Service or draft law. This law, signed by the President 
on May 18, a "red-letter" day in American History, made 
available for the prosecution of the conflict the entire man 
power of America, and sealed the doom of the Central 
Powers. Without a hitch in the proceedings 10,000,000 
young Americans registered for service on June 5, 1917. 
Subsequently nearly half of our male population, or 
26,000,000 men, were either in service or registered. 

The registration of this vast number of men was ac- 
complished in the most orderly and efficient manner, 
without delay or difficulty. The enthusiasm with which 
our people accepted the draft, in spite of their historic 
prejudice against compulsory service in any form, was the 
most remarkable fact in connection with the war. 

Registration of all male citizens included in the draft 
was accomplished through the cooperation of local civil 
authorities, in a similar manner and with the same 
machinery as registrations for local elections. 

Physical examination and classification of the regis- 
trants was carried out by local examining boards, of which 
there were 4,648, distributed on a geographical basis. 
Appeals from the decisions of local boards were disposed 



Statistical Discussion" 47 

of by "district" or superior boards. The men examined 
and certified for service were drawn by lot for induction 
into the army, by the military authorities. The whole 
machinery of the draft worked with the utmost smooth- 
ness and precision. 

Of every one hundred American citizens, five were in 
service in the armed forces, or one male in every ten. Dur- 
ing the Civil War one man in every five served in the 
Federal armed forces, but the total number was only half 
that employed in the late war. America could have placed 
10,000,000 men in the field without calling on any of the 
deferred or exempted classes. 

It took Great Britain, laboring under greater difficulties 
than we faced, three years to place 2,000,000 men in 
France. We accomplished a like feat in half the time. At 
the close of the war the strength of the American Expedi- 
tionary Forces actually exceeded that of the British 
Expeditionary Forces, the figures being American, 
1,950,000; British, 1,720,000. 

The execution of the selective service law or draft, 
furnished some interesting and very valuable statistics and 
information concerning the life of the nation. In his 
report on selective service the Provost Marshal General 
says : "The pride, the sorrow, the patriotism, the sacrifice 
of the nation are contained in the records of the draft." 
These records covered ten acres of floor space, filled fifty 
miles of file cases and consumed 400,000 cubic feet of 
paper. 

The most valuable information furnished by the draft 
was that concerning the health of the nation. It was 



f^lSSrS'^Sio^ 




Fig. 4. Registration under Selective Service Act. 



Statistical Discussion 



49 



found that sixteen out of every one hundred men examined 
were totally unfit for service, and an additional sixteen 
were unfit for active combat service. The most complete 
and valuable data as to prevalent diseases was also ob- 
tained, and this information is worth to us many times the 
entire cost of the draft, which was only $30,000,000. 
Fig. 5 indicates that the central portion of the country 
produced the largest proportion of able bodied men. It 
was also found that country boys are stronger and 
healthier than city boys, whites stronger and healthier 
than blacks, and native bom citizens superior to foreign 
born. 




Fig. 5. Percent of drafted men physically qualified for service, by 

states. 



50 America in the World War 

Figure 5 portrays graphically the quotas of men con- 
tributed by each state. These were, of course, roughly pro- 
portional to population. New York State furnishing nearly 
ten per cent of the total. 

Certain prominent families contributed the following 
large quotas : 

The Johnsons and Johnstons 53,200 

The Smiths 51,900 

The Browns 48,000 

The Williamses 47,000 

Table 1 shows the growth of the United States Army at 
home and abroad, while Table 2 shows the relative 
strengths of the various arms as they existed at the out- 
break of the war, and at the date of the armistice. 

Table I. Strength of U. S. Army 
Date Total In A.E.F. 

1917 April 1 190,000 

June 1 390,000 

Aug. 1 551,000 35,000 

Oct. 1 948,000 65,000 

Dec. 1 1,189,000 129,000 

1918 Feb. 1 1,482,000 225,000 

Aprill 1,796,000 320,000 

June 1 2,112,000 722,000 

Aug. 1 2,658,000 1,293,000 

Oct. 1 3,433,000 1,843,000 

Dec. 1 3,623,000 1,944,000 



STATE 

New York, 
Pennsylvania 


MEN 

367,864 
297,891 




Pei 
■■■7.93 


Illinois 

Ohio 

Texas 

Michigan 

Massachusetts 


251, 074 
200,293 
161,065 
135,483 
132,610 




6.68 


Missouri 


128,544 






California 


112,514 






Indiana 


106,581 






New Jersey 


105,207 






Minnesota 


99,116 


^^■^1^2.64 




lov/a 


98,781 


■■■^^2.63 




Wisconsin 


98,211 






Georgia 


85,506 


■■^^2.28 




Oklahoma 


80,169 


■iHi^2.13 




Tennessee 


75,825 


■^■IH 2.02 




Kentucky 


75.043 


■■■^H 2.00 




Alabama 


74,678 


wtmm^ 1.99 




Virginia 


73,062 


iiHHiHl.94 




N.Carolina 


73,003 


IHHIH 1.94 




Louisiana 


65,988 


^^■1 1.76 




Kansas 


63,428 


1^1^1.69 




Arkansas 


61,027 


^amm 1.62 




W. Virginia 
Mississippi 


55.777 


tm^ 1.48 




54295 


■■■11.44 




S.Carolina 


53,482 


lHiHl.42 




Connecticut 


50,069 


^■i 1.33 




Nebraska 


47,805 


^^ 1.27 




Maryland 
Washington 


47.054 


■■■ 1.25 




45.154 


■■■1.20 




Montana 


36.293 


■■ .97 




Colorado 


• 34393 


■■ .92 




Florida 


33,331 


■■ .89 




$EfA°o?a 


30,116 


^m .80 




29!686 


^.79 




N.Dalcota 


25,803 
24,252 






Maine 


■i .65 




Idaho 


19,016 


■1 51 




Utah 


17,361 


■1.46 




Rhode Island 


16.861 


■ .45 




Porto R-ico 


16^538 


■ .44 




Distof Col. 


16,930 


■ .42 




N.Hampshire 


14374 


■ .38 




New Mexico 


12.439 


■ .33 




Wyoming 


11.393 


■ .30 




Ariz-ona 


10,492 


■ .28 




Vermont 


9,338 


1.25 




Delaware 


7,484 


1.20 




Hawaii 


5,644- 


1.15 • 




Nevada 


5,105 


1.14- 




Alask-a 


2,102 


|.06 




A.E.F. 


1.499 


1.04 




Not allocated 


1.318 


1.04 




Philippines 


255 


1.0,1 




Total 


3,757,624 





9.79 



Fig. 6. Quotas contributed to the army by each state. 



52 America in the World War 

Table II. Strength of Various Arms of the Service 

Arm March, 1917 November, 1918 

Infantry & machine guns 85,000 974,000 

Engineers 3,000 394,000 

Artillery and ammunition trains. . 9,000 389,000 

Medical 7,000 300,000 

Quartermaster 8,000 228,000 

Coast artillery 21,000 137,000 

Ordnance 1,000 64,000 

Signal 3,000 52,000 

Cavalry 22,000 29,000 

Air service 202,000 

Motor transport 103,000 

Chemical warfare service 18,000 

Tank corps 14,000 

In training 549,000 

All others 31,000 212,000 

Total enlisted 190,000 3,665,000 

Ofi&cers 6,000 200,000 

Though the total strength of the army never exceeded 
3,665,000, the number of men inducted into the service in 
the army alone was 4,000,000 and the total in the armed 
forces of the nation, 4.800,000. Table 3 shows the total 
number of men inducted into service in various wars of the 
United States. 

Table III. Men inducted Into armed forces In Wars 
of United States 

Revolution 310,000 

War of 1812 577,000 

Mexican 112,000 

CivU (Federal Army) 2,400,000 

Spanish 60,000 

World War 4,800,000 

As a rule our men received six months' training at 
home, two months' overseas, and one month experience in 
a "quiet" sector before entering battle. In many cases, 



Statistical Discussion 53 

due to the urgent demand for troops, training periods 
were much shorter. 

Officers' training camps in the United States furnished 
80,000 officers for the new army. Each had received three 
months of intensive training at the camp. 

England and France sent to America 800 selected 
officers and non-commissioned officers to assist in training 
the American army. These instructors were distributed to 
the various divisional and special camps. 

The combat unit in the United States Army was the 
division which had a strength of approximately 1,000 
officers and 27,000 men. It included all arms of the 
service, four regiments of infantry, three regiments of field 
artillery, one regiment of engineers, and the necessary 
quota of signal and medical troops and trains. 

The divisions were composed generally of men from 
the same section of the country, and were as far as possible 
trained as complete units at divisional camps or canton- 
ments. 

Prior to the armistice fifty-five divisions were organized, 
of whom forty-two were sent to France. Table 4 shows 
the origin of these divisions and the camps at which they 
trained. 

Our plans called for one hundred divisions in France 
in time for the "spring drive" in 1919. The sudden 
ending of the war made it unnecessary to carry out this 
program. 



54 



America in the World War 



Table IV. Training camps a>td origin of divisions 



Division 


I Camp 


States from which drawn 


1st 


France 


Regulars. 


2nd 


France 


Regulars. 


3rd 


Greene, X. C. 


Regulars. 


4th 


Greene, X. C. 


Regulars. 


5th 


Logan, Tex. 


Regulars. 


6th 


ISIcCleUan, Ala. 


Regulars. 


7th 


^lacArthur, Tex. 


Regulars. 


8th 


Fremont, Calif. 


Regulars. 


9th 


Sheridan, .\la. 


Regulars. 


10th 


Funston, Kans. 


Regulars. 


11th 


Meade. Md. 


Regulars. 


12th 


Devens, ]Mass. 


Regulars. 


13th 


Lewis, Wash. 


Regulars. 


Uth 


Custer, Mich. 


Regulars. 


15th 


Logan, Tex. 


Regulars. 


16th 


Kearny, Calif. 


Regulars. 


17th 


Beauregard, La. 


Regulars. 


18th 


Travis, Tex. 


Regulars. 


19th 


Dodge, Iowa 


Regulars. 


20th 


Sevier, S. C. 


Regulars. 


26th 


Devens, ]Mass. 


Xew England. 


27th 


Wads worth, S. C. 


X. Y. 


28th 


Hancock, Ga. 


Penn. 


29th 


McClellan, .-Via. 


X. J., Va., Md., D. C. 


30th 


Sevier, S. C. 


Tenn., X. C, S. C. 


31st 


Wheeler, Ga. 


Ga., Ala., Fla. 


32nd 


MacArthur, Tex. 


:^lich., Wis. 


33rd 


Logan, Tex. 


111. 


34th 


Cody, X. ]Mex. 


Xebr., la., S. D., Minn., X. D. 


35th 


Doniphan, Okla. 


Mo., Kans. 


36th 


Bowie, Tex. 


Tex., Okla. 


37th 


Sheridan, Ohio 


Ohio. 


38th 


Shelby, ]\Iiss. 


Ind., Ky., W. Va. 


39th 


Beauregard, La. 


Ark., Miss., La. 


40th 


Kearn}', Calif. 


Calif., Col., Utah, Ariz., X. Mex, 


41st 


Fremont, Cahf. 


\'arious States. 


42nd 


Mills, X. Y. 


\'arious States. 



76th Devens, Mass. 
77th Upton, X. Y. 
78th Dix, X. J. 



Xew England, X. Y. 

Xew York Citv. 

Western X. Y.', X. J., Del. 



Statistical Discussion 



55 



States from which drawn 
Northeastern Pa., Md., D. C. 
Va., W. Va., Western Pa. 
N. C, S. C, Fla., Porto Rico 
Ga., Ala., Tenn. 
Ohio, Western Pa. 

Ky., Ind., Southern 111. 

Mich., Eastern Wis. 

Chicago, Northern 111. 

Ark., La., Miss., Southern .\la. 

N. D., Minn., Iowa., Western 111. 

Kans., Mo., S. Dak., Nebr. 

Tex., Okla. 

Alaska, Wash., Ore., Calif., Idaho, 

Nebr., Mont., Wyo., Utah. 
Colored, various States. 
Colored, various States 

Divisions 1 to 20 (inc.) were Regulars, 26 to 42 (inc.) National 
Guard, and 76 to 93 (inc.) National Army (draft). While the origins 
ot these divisions were as stated, all were on July 31, 1918, merged into 
one force, the U. S. Army, and the distinctions above mentioned were 
lost. All of the divisions were eventually composed in large part of 
men furnished by the selective draft. 



Division 


Camp 


79th 


Meade, Md. 


80th 


Lee, Va. 


81st 


Jackson, S. C. 


82nd 


Gordon, Ga. 


83rd 


Sherman, Ohio 


84th 


Zachary Taylor, 




Ky. 


85th 


Custer, Mich. 


86th 


Grant, 111. 


87th 


Pike, Ark. 


88th 


Dodge, Iowa 


89th 


Funston, Kans. 


90th 


Travis, Tex. 


91st 


Lewis, Wash. 


92nd 


Funston, Kans. 


93rd 


Stuart, Va. 



The building of cantonments was authorized in May, 
1917, and by September accommodations for 430,000 men 
]\ad been provided. There were sixteen national guard 
camps and sixteen national army (draft) cantomiients. 
The regular divisions were trained partly at these new 
camps and partly at old army posts. Besides the divisional 
camps many special camps were prepared for training 
artillery, engineers, signal corps, tank corps, aviation 
service, chemical warfare service, etc., and officers. 



Sending Two Million Men Overseas 

The great shipments of men to France during the sum- 
mer and fall of 1918 were brought about by Germany's 
effort to end the war by a decisive victory on the Western 
Front before the American Arm.y attained such a strength 
as to make it a factor in the struggle. Table 5 shows how 
the draft at home kept pace with the shipments of men to 
France. 



Table V. Thousands of men in the United States Army on 
the first of each month 



Month 
(1917) 



April 

May 

June 

July 

August. . . . 
September. 
October. . . 
November. 
December. 



January. . 
February. . 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August. . . 
September. 
October. . . 
November. 
December . 



(1918) 



it Home 


A.E.F. 


Tota 


200 




200 


290 




290 


390 




390 


480 




500 


516 




551 


546 


45 


691 


883 


65 


948 


996 


104 


1,100 


1,060 


129 


1,189 


1,149 


176 


1,325 


1,257 


225 


1,482 


1,386 


253 


1,639 


1,476 


320 


1,796 


1,529 


424 


1,953 


1,390 


722 


2,112 


1,384 


996 


2,380 


1,365 


1,293 


2,658 


1,422 


1,579 


3,001 


1,590 


1,843 


3,433 


1,663 


1,971 


3,634 


1,679 


1,944 


3,623 



Statistical Discussion 57 

Month At Home A.E.F. Total 

(1919) 

January 1,163 1,837 3,000 

February 914 1,710 2,624 

March 761 1,562 2,323 

April 680 1,376 2,056 

May 666 1,088 1,754 

June 578 730 1,308 

July 579 357 936 

August 442 133 575 

The principal ports of embarkation for the overseas 
shipment of troops were New York (Hoboken) and New- 
port News, Va., the great majority, over 75% of the total, 
sailing from the former port. 

Fig. 7 portrays graphically the mightiest effort in 
the overseas movement of troops ever put forth by any 
nation. During the most intensive part of the movement 
the number of troops transported exceeded 10,000 per day. 
Of some 2,000,000 men who sailed for overseas about half 
landed in Great Britain (mostly at Liverpool) and about 
half in France (mostly at Brest). The principal ports of 
debarkation of troops and supplies in France, were Brest, 
St. Nazaire, La Pallice, Bordeaux and Marseilles. 

The ships for this movement were obtained from every 
portion of the globe, even Germany contributed (unwill- 
ingly) a large share. About half the troops were trans- 
ported in British ships (actually 49%), 45% in American, 
and the remainder in French, Italian and Russian ships). 

The American Atlantic transport fleet increased from 
94,000 deadweight tons in July, 1917, to 3,248,000 in 
January, 1919. Of this latter fleet, troop ships aggregated 
681,000 tons, and cargo ships 2,567,000 tons. The total 



58 



America in the World War 



TO FRANCE 



nnDI 




ig ^ '-i < 



«/^ o 



> u 






^ '^ ^ § 



- £ 5: < s: ^ 



•^ < ^ 




— 5^ a. ->-' > o 
3 3 o iJ o w 
- O Z Q 



1917 



1918 



1919 



Fig. 7. Troops sailing each month for France and home. 



number of vessels was over 400. In addition to the above 
there was organized a cross channel fleet for the movement 
of American troops and supplies from England to France. 
On January 1, 1919, this fleet included over 100 vessels 
with an aggregate deadweight capacity of 338,000 tons. 

The greatest troop carrier was the former German liner 
Vaterland re-christened Leviathan (or "Levi" as the 
A. E. F. called her). This ship landed 96,000 troops or 
nearly four divisions, in France, at a rate of 12,000 per 



Statistical Discussion 59 

month or 400 per day. The Leviathan is the world's 
largest ship, 920 ft. long by 100 ft. beam, and of 54,000 
tons register. The next greatest carrier was the George 
Washington also a former German, which landed 44,000 
men in France. The fastest ship was the Great Northern 
which made a record of a round trip in nineteen days. 

The U. S. Emergency Fleet Corporation, whose activi- 
ties are referred to later, furnished to the army transport 
fleet vessels aggregating approximately a million tons 
deadweight capacity. 

Fig. 7 shows that the rate of return of the troops from 
France was even more rapid than the rate of departure for 
overseas. 



Transporting Supplies 



Fig. 8 shows that the growth in freight tonnage shipped 
to France kept pace with the troop movement. In all some 
seven and a half million tons were shipped during a period 
of twenty months. At the time of the armistice a rate of 
1,000,000 tons per month had been attained. This equals 
the monthly average export tonnage of New York, the 
World's greatest port. 

In addition to these shipments large amounts of sup- 
plies, mostly lumber and other building materials, were 
obtained by purchase in Europe. The Engineer Depart- 
ment alone purchased approximately 2,700,000 tons of 
supplies abroad (including nearly 2,000,000 tons of forest 
products). 



829 



7B0 



681 



572 



536 



Figures in ^^ 

thousands of short tons ■42s 



228 





587 



363 



IXmJjulJAuqjSap.lOct JNcvlPgciJan JFcb JMarJAprMayijuniJuI |Auq.|Sep.|OcV |Nov|Dcc 
[ 1917 I 1918 




Fig. 8. Tons of array supplies shipped to France. 



Statistical Discussion 61 

In addition to supplying cur own needs we maintained 
without interruption the stream of munitions and other 
supplies to our Allies. Thus during the years 1917 and 
1918 we provided them with over 5,000,000 lbs. of meat 
and fats, and 600,000,000 bushels of grain. 

As indicating the amount of supplies necessary to main- 
tain an army in active campaign, it is interesting to note 
that the maximum rate of shipment attained (1,000,000 
tons per month) was equal to about 35 lbs. per day for 
each soldier in France. This excludes supplies purchased 
in France. 

The distribution of these supplies amongst the various 
services was as follows : 

Table VI. Supplies shipped to France for each service, 
to April, 1919 

Service Short tons Per cent 

Quartermaster 3,606,000 48.39 

Engineer 1,506,000 20.21 

Ordnance 1,189,000 15.96 

Food relief 285,000 3.82 

Motor transport. 214,000 2 . 87 

Trench material 208,000 2 . 79 

Signal corps 121,000 1 . 62 

Medical 111,000 1.49 

Aviation 61,000 .82 

Red Cross 60,000 .81 

Y.M.C.A 45,000 .60 

Miscellaneous 35,000 .47 

Chemical Warfare 11,000 .15 

Totrl . . . . ^ 7,452,000 

At the time of the armistice arrangements had been com- 
pleted to ship to France each month two hundred locomo- 
tives, ten thousand motor trucks and twenty thousand 
animals. 



62 America in the World War 

The principal port of export for supplies was Ne\^ 
York, but several other ports, Boston, Philadelphia, Nor- 
folk, Charleston, New Orleans, Galveston, etc., were also 
used. The principal ports of entry to France were St. 
Nazaire (Montoir), La Pallice and Bordeaux (Bassens, 
St. Sulpice) . 

Note. — The different terms used in describing the capacity of ships 

are defined as follows: 

Deadweight tonnage represents the total weight of all cargo, contents 
of bunkers, consumable stores, and all other weight, including 
passengers and crew. 

Gross tonnage represents the total cubic capacity' of the vessel, includ- 
ing cabins, bunkers, machinery space, etc., in units of 100 cu. ft. 

Net tonnage represents the total cubic carrying capacity of the vessel, 
deducting all cabins, bunkers and spaces occupied by machinery, 
etc., in units of 100 cu. ft. 

Displacement is the total weight of the vessel, or amount of water dis- 
placed, usually applied to war vessels. 
For conversion purposes it may be assvtmed that the gross tonnage 

is two-thirds of the deadweight, and the net tonnage two-thirds of the 

gross. 



Shipping and Submarines 

Germany risked and eventually incurred American inter- 
vention in the World War rather than forego her sub- 
marine campaign against Allied shipping. From the start 
of the war until its close the most acute shortage in the 
necessaries of war was in shipping. 

German submarines destroyed during the war 13,000,- 
000 gross tons or nearly a third of the total shipping of the 
world. The Allied nations could not replace these ships 
at a like rate, and defeat from this cause stared them in 
the face. 

To nullify the German submarine campaign it was 
necessary first to establish protective measures to reduce 



Statistical Discussion 63 

losses and second to stimulate ship building to a point 
where the losses would be more than made good by new 
construction. 

It was soon found that the best means of protection was 
an active campaign of destruction of submarines. This 
campaign was carried cut with signal success by the com- 
bined forces of the British and American Navies. The 
total number of submarines constructed by Germany w^as 
372, and during the third year of the war she had attained 
a rate of construction of two per w^eek, or over a hundred 
a year. Of this number (372) the Allies destroyed 203, 
or more than half, and thus succeeded in bringing the sub- 
marine menace under control. But more ships were vitally 
necessary. England was building to the limit of her 
capacity, but America was called on by the Allies for a 
supreme effort in ship building as one of her chief con- 
tributions to Allied victory. 

As in most of our other preparations we had to start 
from the beginning. In addition to stimulating private 
enterprise the United States Government created the great- 
est ship-building organization the w^orld has ever seen, the 
Emergency Fleet Corporation. 

The greatest ship tonnage ever constructed in a single 
year prior to the war was 3,330,000 tons deadweight, in 
1913. Of this amount Great Britain built 2,000,000 tons 
and the United States only 276,000. 

At the outbreak of the war the gross tonnage of the 
world's shipping (excluding the Central Powers) was 
42,500,000. During the war (to November 11, 1918), 
10,700,000 gross tons were built and 2,400,000 seized. 



64 America in the World War 

Of new construction the United States contributed 3,400,- 
000 gross tons and Great Britain 4,800,000. On April 1, 
1919, the gross tonnage of the world's shipping (excluding 
Central Powers) was 42,600,000 of which 11,800,000 
was American, and of this more than half was seagoing. 

At the date of the armistice there were in the United 
States 341 ship yards with 1,284 launching ways, and the 
rate of construction was a half million tons a month or 
6,000,000 tons per year. Thus in a little over a year the 
capacity of American shipyards had become almost double 
that of the entire world in 1913 — giant strides by the 
Colossus of the nations. 

The submarine campaign had failed and with it Ger- 
many's hopes of world dominion. 

The American Army lost only 200,000 tons of shipping 
and 380 lives as a direct result of the German submarine 
campaign — a splendid testimonial to the efficiency of the 
United States Navy. 

Army Construction 

The construction project of the American Army in con- 
nection with the war exceeded anything of that nature ever 
undertaken by man, even the building of the Panama 
Canal. The cost of the program exceeded the total annual 
cost of all building in one hundred fifty of the largest cities 
of the United States, in which dwell a quarter of all our 
inhabitants. 

This construction project was carried on both at home 
and abroad. Construction in the United States included 



Statistical Discussion 65 

the camps and cantonments for training the divisions, 
many special training camps, great storage depots, huge 
projects in connection with the furnishing of jnunitions 
of war and other supplies. Table 7 gives a comprehensive 
view of the nature and magnitude of these projects. 

Table VII. Costs of army construction projects in the 
United States 

Item Millions of % of Total 
Dollars 

National Army cantonments 199 24 

National Guard camps 74 9 

Regular Army posts 35 5 

Hospitals 23 3 

Aviation & Signal Corps projects . . 8 1 

Special camps & cantonments. ... 139 17 

Ordnance projects 163 20 

Quartermaster projects 137 16 

Miscellaneous construction 40 5 

Total cost 818 100 

Number of separate projects 540 

This cost is more than double that of the Panama Canal, 
previously the greatest construction feat of man. The 
great cantonments for the training of divisions were cities 
Avith 40,000 inhabitants, constructed at an average cost of 
$10,000,000 each. They included all modern facilities such 
as water supply, sewerage, electric light, heat, roads, side- 
walks, telephones, theaters, etc. These sprang up as if by 
magic in three to four months' time. A typical camp was 
Camp Grant, Rockford, Illinois. It included sixteen 
hundred buildings, accommodated 45,000 men and 12,000 
animals, and cost $11,000,000. 



66 America in the World War 

A force of over 200,000 workmen was continuously em- 
ployed on this construction, and at one time the force at- 
tained a strength of 230,000 — an army greater by far than 
the entire forces on both sides at Gettysburg, America's 
greatest battle prior to this war, a force larger than the 
entire regular army in April, 1917. In connection with' 
the construction program in the United States, the army 
purchased two and two-thirds billion feet board measure 
of lumber at a cost of $70,000,000. This amount of lum- 
ber would build a board walk one foot wide twenty times 
around the earth or to the moon and back. 

The largest single project was the proving ground for 
the Ordinance Department at Aberdeen (N. J.) which cost 
$70,000,000. 

Seven great supply depots for overseas shipments were 
constructed at New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Nor- 
folk, Charleston, New Orleans and Port Newark, in addi- 
tion to many depots in the interior of the country. The 
depot at New York provided 4,500,000 sq. ft. of covered 
storage, with a capacity of 700,000 tons. Its railroad 
yards could accommodate 1,300 cars and it could load 
twelve ships of 8,000 tons deadweight capacity every 
twenty-four hours. The cost of this project was $33,000,- 
000. The total covered storage space at the seven base 
supply depots -was nearly 21,000,000 sq. ft., and an addi- 
tional 12,000,000 sq. ft. was available at depots in the 
interior. 

Construction projects were executed in every state in the 
Union (except one). Many huge projects which were 
under way were suspended when the armistice was signed. 



Statistical Discussion 67 

The total housing capacity of all camps and canton- 
ments in the United States was 2,100,000 men. The aver- 
age initial cost of housing one man was about $250.00. 
The aggregate area of the thirty-two divisional camps was 
246,000 acres or nearly 400 sq. miles. The total ware- 
house capacity constructed in the United States was some 
33,000,000 sq. ft., and the total hospitalization 123,000 
beds. 

It is interesting to note that whereas all the buildings at 
the divisional cantonments were of wood construction and 
heated by stoves burning coal and wood, the annual fire 
loss per capita was only 46 cents as compared with $2.42, 
the annual per capita fire loss in the United States at large. 

The construction project in France, carried out by the 
Corps of Engineers, U. S. Army, was comparable in mag- 
nitude to that in the United States, and was performed 
under extraordinary difficulties. A total of 831 separate 
projects was executed, covering the whole of France; 
160,000 troops, prisoners and civilians were employed, and 
$450,000,000, or more than the cost of the Panama Canal, 
was expended for materials, machinery and equipment 
alone. 

This construction included every conceivable variety of 
work, and extended from the base ports to the line of 
battle. Amongst the important items were port improve- 
ments, storage depots, shelter for troops, hospitals for 
men and animals, cold storage plants, bakeries, electric 
light and power, gasoline storage (250,000 bbls. capacity) 
water supply and sewerage, machine shops and assembly 
plants of every class, roads, bridges, railroads and railroad 



68 America in the World War 

terminals, quarries, sawmills, etc. The Forestry Division 
located, cut and sawed all the lumber, railroad ties and 
piles used in the work, over a hundred sawmills being in 
operation at one time. 

The following will convey some idea of the magnitude 
of the work. The barracks and hospital wards constructed, 
if placed end to end would reach from Bordeaux, France, 
to Turin, Italy, or from New York to Cleveland, Ohio, a 
distance of 400 miles. Over one thousand miles of stand- 
ard gauge railway was constructed, enough to lay a double 
tracked line from Bayonne, France, to Berne, Switzerland, 
or from New York to Chicago. The cordwood cut in the 
forests if piled one metre high and one metre wide would 
extend 1,332 miles, from Brest to Strasbourg, thence to 
Nice, thence to Bayonne, or from New Orleans to Boston. 

The total covered storage space provided in France was 
over twenty-three million square feet, or more than the 
aggregate storage space at all the supply bases in the 
United States. This provided storage capacity for from 
forty-five to seventy day's supplies for the entire A. E. F. 
The total hospitalization was 287,000 beds or more than 
double the capacity at home. 

The great intermediate storage depot at Gievres, France, 
covered an area of twelve square miles, provided nearly 
4,000,000 sq. ft. of covered storage, and could load or 
unload sixteen hundred cars of freight per day. 

At Pontanezen, near Brest (the principal port of troop 
entry) the American engineers constructed the largest 
single camp in existence, having a capacity of 80,000. 



Statistical Discussion 69 

At one kitchen in this camp 7,000 men could be served in 
less than an hour. 

The daily capacity of all the army bakeries erected in 
France was 1,900,000 lbs. of bread. 

The engineers constructed or re-constructed 16,000 kilo- 
meters (10,000 miles) of road, using 1,700,000 metric 
tons of rock, and expending 4,750,000 man days of labor. 

The signal corps erected the poles and strung 100,000 
miles of telegraph and telephone wire. They transmitted 
48,000 telegrams, averaging sixty words, per day. 

The forestry division of the engineers cut and sawed 
218,000,000 feet board measure of lumber, 4,000,000 rail- 
road ties and 400,000 cords of fuel wood in the forests of 
France. 

The Army base printing plant operated l)y the engineers, 
employed 800 men and did all the printing and map repro- 
duction required by the A. E. F. It had an average output 
of 1,200,000 lithographs and 500,000 pages of printed 
matter per month. Between June, 1918, and the armistice 
over 5,000,000 maps were furnished for the use of the 
A. E. F. 

A total of eighty berths for unloading ocean going ves- 
sels, were provided by the French or built by the Ameri- 
cans at the ports assigned for the use of the American 
Expeditionary Forces. At one of these ports (Bassens) 
the Americans built the largest single warehouse ever 
erected, 1,340x100 ft. or 134,000 square ft. of floor space. 



70 America in the World War 



Artillery and Artillery Ammunition 

Napoleon once said, "It is my artillery that wins most 
of my battles." We are hardly prepared to subscribe abso- 
lutely to this statement. To-day we call the infantry the 
"queen of battles." It is the infantry soldier who suiTers 
and inflicts the greatest losses. However for many years 
the artillery has been his "indispensable companion" with- 
out whose preparation and constant support he would be 
at a great disadvantage in grappling with his enemy. 
Germany successfully overwhelmed Belgium, Servia, Ru- 
mania and Russia chiefly because she was far better 
equipped with artillery. 

In spite of the marvelous developments in tanks, aero- 
planes, submarines, the artillery remains at the close of 
the great war, as it was at the beginning, by far the most 
important of the "auxiliary arms." In no other activity 
of warfare have developments been as rapid and far reach- 
ing in their effects, as those in the range, accuracy, power, 
volume and intensity of artillery fire. The "big gun" is 
and remains the most powerful weapon of war, the most 
interesting, inspiring and romantic. With it Germany 
blasted her way through the "impregnable" forts of Bel- 
gium. The little French "75," deluging the Germans with 
a continuous hail of steel upon a hundred and fifty miles 
of battlefront, was the instrument chiefly responsible for 
saving civilization from the hordes of barbarism. 

In our own service during the war the personnel of the 
artillery exceeded that of any other combatant arm, except 



Statistical Discussion 71 

of course the infantry. Of our total expenditures on be- 
half of the army about thirty percent was applied to the 
manufacture or purchase of artillery and ammunition 
(ordnance), or nearly five times as much as was expended 
for aviation. In addition to this much of the expenditure 
for construction was in connection with ordnance projects. 
The following tables and statements will show far 
better than any description, the rapid and tremendous 
growth in the power and importance of artillery, which 
has kept pace more closely than any other instrument of 
war with the progress of material civilization. 

Table VIII. Average and maximum ranges of field 
artillery, yards. 

Date 

1815-1850 

1863-1870 

1879-1893 

1895-1905 

1914-1918 

1919 



Average 


Maximum 


1,670 


2,300 


3,965 





6,168 




7,340 




8,500 




12,130 


52,666 



The maximum range is that of the 16-inch raih-oad gun. The 
German long range guns (not classed as field artillery) attained a range 
of 75 miles or 132,000 vds. 



Table IX. Average rates of fire per gun per day in various 

wars 

1854 Crimean, French and British 5 

1859 Austro-Italian, Austrians 0.3 

1861 American Civil War, Union 4 

1870 Franco-Prussian, Prussians 1.1 

1905 Russo-Japanese, Russians 7 

1918 World War, British 35 



72 America in the World War 



Table X. Expenditures of artillery ammunition in various 

battles 



Year 


Battle 


Army 


Rounds fired 


1863 


Gettysburg 


Union 


32,781 


1870 


St. Privat 


German 


39,000 


1904 


ShaHo 


Russian 


274,360 


1916 


Somme 


British 


4,000,000 


1918 


St. Mihiel 


American 


1,093,217 


1918 


Meuse-Argonne 


American 


4,214,000 



In Napoleon's day when "the artillery won most of the 
battles," the proportion of artillery to infantry was from 
1 to 3 guns per 1,000 infantry. The modern army, fully 
equipped, employs from 15 to 25 guns per 1,000 infantry 
rifles in addition to which their average range is eight to 
ten times as great and their average daily rate of fire over 
twenty times as great. In the Meuse-Argonne battle the 
American army had one gun to every ten yards of front. 

In one average month of the last year of the late war 
the expenditure of artillery ammunition exceeded the total 
expenditures in the entire course of all previous wars in 
the world's history. In the preliminary bombardment of 
four hours duration opening the battle of St. Mihiel, the 
greatest concentration of artillery fire in history, the Amer- 
ican Army expended 1,000,000 rounds, or more than the 
total amount expended by any belligerent in the entire 
course of any previous war, except the American Civil 
War. During the most active year (1864) of our Civil 
War, the greatest previous conflict, the Union army ex- 
pended 2,000,000 rounds of artillery ammunition. During 
the last year of the World War the French and British 
Armies expended 153,000,000 rounds. 



Statistical Discussion 73 

It is small wonder that the fragrance of romance 
clings to the great gun, and even to the sweating laborer in 
the munitions plant, grinding out the shells it hurls by 
millions at the enemy. It is small wonder that the artillery 
has had always a strong hold upon popular interest and 
imagination. 

We can easily understand too, why great nations at war 
regard their artillery program as the most vital part of 
their preparation. 

At the outbreak of the war there were but nine hundred 
pieces of field artillery in the possession of the United 
States Army, enough for the initial equipment of eleven 
divisions, each requiring seventy-two guns with a small 
reserve. To properly equip the forty-two divisions sent 
to France, allowing for replacements and guns in transit, 
3,200 pieces would have been required, not including the 
great numbers of corps and army artillery. As in the case 
of the small arms, our first troops were actually equipped 
with French and British artillery, some 3,000 pieces of 
light artillery being purchased from our Allies, while we 
took up production for the equipment of later organiza- 
tions. Artillery is, of all equipment, the least susceptible 
of high speed production, as the process of manufacture 
are many and require a certain minimum time which can- 
not be reduced. Nevertheless we proceeded rapidly with 
our task and the monthly production of finished guns rose 
from 61 in January, 1918, to 169 in October, 1918. The 
total production to April, 1919, was about 5,000, of which 
1,642 were delivered to the United States Army prior to 



74 America in the World War 

the signing of the armistice. The total includes also 
pieces manufactured for our Allies. 



Table XI. Complete cannon {all calibres) manufactured in 

A merica 

Month Production Total to end of 

during the month month 

January (1918) 61 69 

February 75 144 

March 112 256 

April 130 386 

May 163 549 

June 261 810 

July 272 1,082 

August 507 1,589 

September 492 2,081 

October 769 2,850 

November 672 3,522 

December 517 4,039 

3,288 complete trench mortars (all sizes) and over 5,000,000 rounds 
of trench mortar ammunition were produced. 



In addition to making the guns themselves we proceeded 
with the manufacture of carriages, sights and other acces- 
sories. In all 3,077 complete mobile artillery units were 
constructed up to May 1, 1919, of which 815 were shipped 
overseas prior to the armistice. A "complete unit" in- 
cludes carriage and accessories. 

This work was only the small beginning of a huge pro- 
gram. In "75's" alone orders were placed for over 10,000 
pieces, of which only about a thousand were completed at 
the date of the armistice. Orders had been placed for 
1,214 of the huge 240 mm. (9.2 in.) howitzers, and a 
monthly output of 80 was planned for 1919. So great, 
however, were the preparations necessary to produce this 



Statistical Discussion 75 

weapon that only one sample or "pilot" howitzer was com- 
pleted up to December, 1918. A number (60) of the 
monster 16-inch howitzers, the mightiest weapons of war- 
fare ever devised, were actually in course of construction, 
but none had been completed when the armistice inter- 
vened. 

The modern army requires artillery of many kinds and 
sizes for various purposes. For rapid destructive fire 
against unprotected troops and light structures, including 
the "barrage" or continuous curtain of fire which precedes 
the infantry when it advances to the attack, the quick firing 
"75" (3 in.) is most suitable. For knocking out machine 
guns at short range a little cannon with a calibre of 37 
mm. (l^X in.) is employed. For destroying or "neutraliz- 
ing" the enemy's artillery, for demolishing trenches, dug- 
outs and concrete structures, roads, railroads and bridges, 
towns and cantonments, more powerful guns and howitz- 
ers, whose calibres range from 4.7 ins. to 6 and 8 ins. are 
necessary. And finally for interrupting the enemy's com- 
munications at long range, for destroying permanent forti- 
fications and other solid structures, great weapons having 
calibres of from 9 to 16 inches and ranges up to 25 miles, 
are employed. These large pieces are often mounted on 
railway trucks from which they are fired, and where so 
mounted are called "railway artillery." Howitzers and 
mortars are characterized by curved trajectories or "plung- 
ing" fire which makes them suitable for reaching deep 
dugouts, cellars of buildings, steep reverse slopes of hills, 
etc. They also have the advantages of being more accurate 
than guns, and throwing a larger weight of explosive in 



76 America in the World War 

proportion to their calibres. Trench mortars are weapons 
of relatively short range which propel large charges of 
explosive at a high rate of fire. They are used to destroy 
hostile works at short range Avhere the greater ranges of 
the more expensive pieces are not required. 

The following table gives the characteristics of the 
principal pieces of artillery used by the United States 
Army in the World War. Several of them are of French 
design. 

Table XII. Characteristics of principal pieces of artillery 
used in U. S. Army 

Name of piece Wt. of projectile Range, max. 

37 mm. gun 1 . 25 lbs. 3,500 metres 

75 mm. gun 6 . 25 kilograms 11, 000 M. 

3 in. gun 15 lbs. 6,500 yds. 

155 mm. (6") howitzer. ... 43. 75 kilos. 11,200 M. 

155 mm. gun 43 kilos. 16,200 M. 

8 in. howitzer 90 . 6 kilos. 11,000 M. 

8 in. seacoast gun 200 lbs. 20,000 M. 

9.2 in. howitzer 131.5 kilos. 12,000 M. 

10 in. seacoast gun 510 lbs. 22,500 M. 

12 in. mortar 700 lbs. 13,000 M. 

14 in. naval gun 1,200 lbs. 25,600 M. 

16 in. howitzer 1,660 lbs. 22,500 yds. 

16 in. gun 2,400 lbs. 52,000 yds. 

25 mm. are approximately 1 inch. 
1 kilogram is approximately 2 . 2 lbs. 
1 metre is approximately 1 . 1 yds. 

Table XIII. American artillery in France 

Total number of guns received by A. E. F. to Nov. 11 . . . 3,500 

Number of American manufacture 477 

American made pieces used in battle by A. E. F 196 

Number of guns on the firing line 2,417 

Total number of rounds of ammunition expended during 

the war 8,850,000 

Maximum expenditure in one battle (Meuse-Argonne) 4,214.000 



Statistical Discussion 77 

In addition to the great ordnance project at Aberdeen, 
constructed at a cost of $70,000,000, a great plant for the 
manufacture of big guns was being erected at Neville 
Island, near Pittsburgh, Pa. This plant would have cost 
$150,000,000 and would have been larger than any Euro- 
pean gun-making plant, including the Krupp works at 
Essen. The project was abandoned shortly after the 
armistice. Many private manufacturers expended huge 
sums for new plants and extensions. At Detroit, Dodge 
Brothers erected a plant costing $10,000,000 for the manu- 
facture of parts for the 155 mm. howitzer. 

The total number of workmen employed in the produc- 
tion of guns, carriages and accessories was 42,000. 

It was in the production of artillery ammunition, 
powder and explosives that America made her bravest 
showing in the industrial contribution to the war. This 
was due to the facts that less preparation is required than 
in the manufacture of ordnance, and that our commercial 
plants had for some years been making munitions for the 
Allied Nations. While the British surpassed us in the 
manufacture of light artillery, we exceeded them in the 
production of heavy artillery and both classes of shells. 
The quantities of the latter include ammunition manu- 
factured for both ourselves and our Allies. 

The artillery ammunition actually employed by the 
United States Army in battle was nearly all of French 
manufacture, but its use was made possible only by the 
rapid increase of production in American plants. This 
production of artillery ammunition rose from 376,000 
rounds in January, 1918, to 3,072,000 rounds in October, 



78 America in the World War 

1918, a total of over twenty million rounds being produced 
up to January, 1919, for the use of the United States Army 
alone. 

In the production of smokeless powder the output of 
the United States from April, 1917, to November, 1918, 
equalled the combined production of France and England. 
In addition to filling our own needs we supplied vast 
quantities to our Allies, nearly half of the total British 
supply in 1917 being of American manufacture. At the 
close of the war our rate of manufacture of powder was 
fifty per cent greater than the combined rates of France 
and Great Britain. 

In the production of high explosives the effort of the 
United States was almost equally striking. At the close 
of the war we were producing nearly 20,000,000 lbs. per 
month, which nearly equalled the combined rates of pro- 
duction of our two Allies. Our rate of production of poi- 
son gases in October, 1918, likewise exceeded that of either 
of our principal Allies, and w^as over six times the produc- 
tion of Germany, being 2,726 tons for the month. So far 
as the allies were concerned it may be said that the war was 
fought chiefly with American munitions. 

The production of tri-nitro-toluol (T. N. T.) increased 
from 600,000 lbs. a month in 1914, at the opening of the 
war, to 16,000,000 lbs. a month in 1918. This great in- 
crease was sufficient to meet the needs of our Allies and 
also to take care of our own demand. The cost of 
T. N. T. was also reduced from one dollar to twenty-one 
cents per pound. 



Statistical Discussion 79 

Smokeless powder is used as the "propelling charge" 
for artillery, while T. N. T, which is a higher order of ex- 
plosive (more violent), is used for the "bursting charge" 
of shell. 

At the date of the armistice 85,000,000 pounds of 
smokeless powder had been loaded into small arms and 
artillery ammunition. The aggregate daily capacity of all 
shell filling plants in the United States was 285,000 
rounds. 

Table XIV. Comparative rates of production of powder 

and explosives 

(British rate, 100) 

Smokeless powder High explosive 
Monthly Total Monthly Total 

Great Britain 100 100 100 100 

France 144 117 74 92 

United States 355 217 142 49 

Amount of U. S. Produc- 
tion, lbs. (42,775,000) (632,504,000) (43,888,000) (375,656,000) 
(Average for months of Aug.-Sept.-Oct., 1918) 

An interesting though not very important artillery 
development of the late war was the German long range 
guns. 

These guns had a calibre of about 9.2 inches and fired a 
shell weighing 265 lbs. to a distance of about seventy- five 
miles. They were interesting as showing the great ranges 
that artillery may attain, and undoubtedly even greater 
ranges are possible. But the cost of bombardment with 
such guns is out of all proportion to the results obtained. 
The bombing aeroplane is a cheaper and more effective 
means of reaching such distant points. 



80 America in the World War 

Anti-aircraft artillery was first employed in the World 
War. These guns were not highly effective in destroying 
aeroplanes, but they served to force the planes to fly at 
much greater heights, thereby interfering with their opera- 
tions. 

Rifles, Machine Guns and Ammunition 

Since the days of Daniel Boone the American has been 
of all peoples, the most expert in the use of the rifle. 
American riflemen armed with American made rifles 
shooting American ammunition, have won every interna- 
tional rifle contest in which they have competed. The 
records established by American riflemen have never been 
equalled by any other nation. Along the Marne River and 
in the damp and foggy Argonne Forest, the skill and the 
deadly accuracy of the individual American rifleman was 
the chief contributing cause of the collapse of the German 
war machine. "The rifle and bayonet," said General Per- 
shing, "are the principal weapons of the infantry soldier." 

When we entered the war the American regular army 
was equipped with what was then and is now the most 
accurate, quick-firing and effective military rifle in the 
world — the American Springfield. With this weapon the 
American fired twice as many shots in a given time as his 
German adversary, and one American Springfield rifle in 
action in American hands was as dangerous as three or 
four German "Mausers." 



Statistical Discussion 81 

There were, however, only 600,000 of' these rifles in 
existence, and they were manufactured in small numbers 
at but one plant only — the Springfield (Mass.) Armory, 
from which the rifle takes its name. An expansion of pro- 
duction, sufficiently rapid to meet the need, was impossible. 
The manufacture of Springfields could not, in any reason- 
able time, have been increased to more than 1,000 per day. 
Private industrial plants had for some years been manu- 
facturing rifles in great quantities for our Allies. But 
these were of a different type, and to change to the Spring- 
field would have been most difficult. It was therefore de- 
cided to adopt as our standard weapon the British Enfield, 
which our commercial plants had been making, modified 
to increase the rapidity of fire and to use the American 
Springfield Ammunition. This weapon was not the equal 
of our own, but as modified it was greatly superior to those 
of either the French, British or Germans. 

As a result of this wise decision the production of rifles 
for the American army advanced by leaps. In February, 
1918, the daily production was 9,247, or more than four 
times as many as Great Britain had been able to produce 
at the corresponding period, and twice as great as her 
maximum daily rate. 

To the date of the armistice we manufactured 2,506,307 
rifles, giving us, with those purchased elsewhere or pre- 
viously on hand, a total of 3,575,356, This number was 
sufficient for any army of 7,000,000 men, since many troops 
(such as artillery, aviation, medical, etc.) are not armed 
with rifles. The greatest production in any one plant was 



82 America in the World War 

at Eddystone, 1,182,000. The cost of the "modified En- 
field" was $26.00. 

The machine gun, like the aeroplane, is a distinctly 
American device. American inventors produced the first, 
as they have produced the best machine guns. 

In former wars the machine gun was regarded as an 
"emergency" weapon. In the World War, however, it was 
employed in unprecedented numbers and became one of 
the chief Aveapons of combat. In 1912 our organization 
provided for four machine guns per regiment. In 1919 
the allowance was 336 per regiment, or forty-eight times 
as great (the regiments in 1919 were about twice the 
strength of those of 1912). A new machine gun and a 
new! automatic rifle, both the work of a distinguished 
American inventor, John M. Browning, were adopted as 
the standard equipment of the United States Army. As 
in the case of the rifles, these weapons were easily superior 
to any others in use by either our Allies or our enemies. The 
production of machine guns in the United States rose from 
five thousand in January, 1918, to thirty-five thousand 
in August, 1918. And a total of nearly 227,000 was pro- 
duced during the war. In addition to the Brownings we 
manufactured and used a number of other types of both 
American and foreign design. Although manufactured 
in large quantities the Browning guns were not employed 
in battle until September, 1918 (Meuse-Argonne battle), 
when these powerful weapons were sprung as a surprise on 
the enemy. 

Table 1 5 shows the numbers and types of machine guns 
manufactured in America. 



Statistical Discussion 83 



Table XV. Machine guns prodttced to end of 1918 

Heavy Browning 56,672 

Vickers field 12,125 

Other field 6,366 

Lewis aircraft 39,200 

Browning aircraft 580 

Marlin aircraft 38,000 

Vickers aircraft 3,714 

Light Browning (auto rifle) 69,960 



Total 226,557 

Of the above only 12,000 were actually employed in 
battle by American troops. The total available was suffi- 
cient to equip an army of 8,000,000 men with machine 
guns and 5,000,000 with auto rifles. There was accord- 
ingly a large excess supply available, which would have 
meant a constantly increasing volume of fire by American 
troops had the war continued. We had, in fact, hardly 
begun to develop our strength in battle. 

A total of 743,000 pistols and revolvers of various types 
was manufactured for army use. 

Prior to the war we estimated our needs for "small arms 
ammunition" in terms of millions of rounds. During the 
war the estimates were in billions. We developed a hun- 
dred million annual capacity to a three billion output, the 
actual total produced being 3,507,000,000. Twenty-eight 
million hand and twenty million rifle grenades were manu- 
factured. 



84 



America in the World War 



Table XVI. Comparative monthly rates at dose of war and total 
production, April 6, 1917, to November 11, 1918, of small 
arms and ammunition 

(Production of Great Britain taken as 100) 





Machine guns 
and auto rifles 


Rifles 


Small arms am- 
munition 


Nation 


Monthly 
rate 


Total 


Monthly 
rate 


Total 


Monthly 
rate 


Total 


Great Britain . . 

France 

United States . . 


100 
111 

249 


100 
126 
100 


100 

36 

207 


100 

72 

127 


100 

54 

100 


100 
86 
83 



Aviation 

There was probably no item of our war preparations in 
w^hich the American public displayed more interest than 
the aviation program. This was due to its novelty, the 
mystery which surrounded it, and the romantic appeal to 
the imagination of- the aeroplane's activities in war. 

Although the aeroplane, like the machine gun, was an 
American invention, it had not been highly developed in 
America on either a military or commercial basis. The 
aviation developments of the belligerent powers, as a result 
of the war, had left us far behind. When we entered the 
war the Army possessed two aviation fields, fifty-five 
obsolete aeroplanes, and about seventy-five qualified mili- 
tary aviators. 

Our Allies assured us that a vast program must be 
carried out if superiority in the air was to be assured. We 
were thus confronted with the problem of creating an 



Statistical Discussion 85 

• 

entirely new industr}^ on a huge scale in a minimum period 
of time, as well as a new arm of warfare in the service. 

The developments in aviation were so rapid during the 
war that had any European plane been selected for adapta- 
tion to quantity production in America, it would have been 
out of date and obsolete before the stage of quantity pro- 
duction had been reached. An aeroplane outclassed by 
its enemy in power, speed and maneuvering ability, is of 
little value to the army, and a death trap for its pilot. 

America therefore decided that it was necessary, as a 
first step in our program, to design machines so far in 
advance of the best European developments to date, that 
there would be no chance of their being overtaken and 
rendered obsolete by foreign progress, just as we were 
placing them in quantity production. Also these machines 
must be of the utniost simplicity, that they could be easily 
and quicklv manufactured in great numbers by American 
methods, for America contemplated a huge project, insur- 
ing overwhelming superiority in the air. Having little 
knowledge of aviation, ignorant of European developments 
(whose secrecy had been jealously guarded) this was a 
feat of engineering that might well cause the best minds in 
America to hesitate. 

There can be no question that these decisions were wise, 
yet they were largely the cause of the delay that was so 
irritating to the American public. 

The most important part of an aeroplane is its motor 
and so we at once undertook the design of a motor which 
should be so far superior to any other in existence that 
there would be no question of its maintaining for a long 



86 America in the World War 

time the supremacy of the air. This was the now famous 
Libert)^ engine, which so w^ell fulfilled the hopes of its 
inventors and of the American Nation — our chief contri- 
bution to the war in the air. 

On May 29th, 1917, only a little over a month after the 
outbreak of war, the designers, Messrs. J. G. Vincent and 
E. J. Hall, set to work. Within three days they had laid 
down the main characteristics of the motor. Their design 
was scrutinized by all the best experts in America. It may 
thus be said to represent the best that American mechanical 
genius could produce. On July 4, 1917, the first Liberty 
motor was delivered in Washington, or less than six w^eeks 
after the first line was drawn on paper. On August 25 
the first Liberty "twelve" had passed its 50 hour test. In 
six weeks a good design was produced, in three months was 
perfected, and in fiive months deliveries began. As an 
achievement in speed of development this performance has 
never been equalled. The minimum period in which a 
new motor had previously been placed in production was 
generally a year. European experts pronounced the 
Liberty the superior of any aviation engine produced in 
Europe, and the Allied governments placed orders for 
these engines in America. The horse-power of the Liberty 
engine was 400, whereas that of the most powerful 
European engine was but 300. 

Thus we laid the solid foundation for our aviation pro- 
gram, looking to the expected great "drives" of the Ameri- 
can army in 1919 and 1920. We sacrificed immediate re- 
sults and tried the patience of the American people, in 
order to make victory absolutely sure. 



22.104. 



From 
American 
sources 




Sep. Oct. Nov. Dec 



1917 



Jan. Feb. Mar Apr. May Jun. Jul. Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov. 



1918 



Fig. q. Production of service aeroplane engines for U. S. 
Army to end of each month. 



88 America in the World War 

In addition to the Liberty we made several other types 
of motors, and adapted European planes, notably the De 
Havilland, to our use. 

Meanwhile we fabricated many training planes and 
engines for the aviation schools at home. 

The total output of the American aviation program to 
the date of the armistice was, in round numbers, as fol- 
lows : 

Training engines 16,000 

Service engines 16,000 

Training planes 8,000 

Service planes 4,000 

The actual production of Liberty motors to this date was 
15,572. The aggregate power of these engines exceeded 
that of Niagara Falls in flood by over a million horse- 
power. In October, 1918, we had attained a monthly rate 
of production of aeroplane engines of 5,297 (of which 
3,878 were "Liberties") or 63,564 per year. Fig. 9 shows 
the production of service engines for the army by months, 
and indicates the rapid growth of American manufacture. 

The De Havilland observation and bombing plane was 
the only service aeroplane which America successfully 
developed to the point of quantity production, 3,227 being 
constructed and 1,885 shipped overseas. At the date of 
the armistice our aeroplane factories had attained a rate 
of production of aeroplanes (all types) of 20,000 per 
year, and this rate was rapidly increasing. Fig. 10 



7889 




From 
American 
sources 



From 
foreign 
sources 



Fig. io. Production of service aeroplanes for U. S. Army to 
end of each month. 



Tola! 


A. 


. E. F. 


only 


258 

4,881 

11,754 




258 
1,739 
1,213 





90 America in the World War 

shows the production of service planes for our army by 
both American and foreign industry, by months to date of 
armistice. 

Table XX''!!. Aeroplanes delivered to U. S. Army 

By Great Britain 

By France 

Home manufacture 

16,893 3,210 

The first American built plane went into action at the 
front, August 7, 1918. 

Of 2,698 aeroplanes sent to the battlefront for the use 
of the United States Army, 667 were of American manu- 
facture, but only 196 of these were in action at the date 
of the armistice. Fig. 1 1 shows the service aeroplanes 
sent to the battlefront at end of each month. 

In the first nineteen months of the v>ar we exceeded the 
aeroplane production of anv of the belligerents in a like 
period. In our second year we equalled England's third 
year. We designed and placed in quantity production the 
most ^efficient aeroplane engine. 

Our aviation program contemplated a production of 
40,000 planes and 100,000 engines, for which contracts 
had been let. At the date of the armistice the total number 
of battle planes in action on the Western Front ( German 
and Allied) was 8,550. American supremacy in the air 
was plainly only a question of time. At the battle of 
St. Mihiel the American Army assembled the greatest air 



^^lafll 




From 

American 

sources 



From 
foreign 
sources 



1917 



Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May Jun. Jul. Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov. 



1918 



Fio. II. Service aeroplanes sent to battlefront for A. E. F. 
to end of each month. 



92 America in the World War 

force ever brought together, but it consisted chiefly of 
French planes. 

America devised or improved many useful accessories to 
aviation including oxygen breathing apparatus for high 
altitudes, electrically warmed clothing, cameras, synchron- 
ized machine guns (to fire between the blades of the 
propellers), and radio telephones which enabled the avia- 
tor to hear in spite of the noise of his engine. 

For the aviation construction program Congress, on 
July 24, 1917, authorized $640,000,000, the largest ap- 
propriation ever voted for a single specific purpose. 

Fig, 12 shows the activity of American aviators at 
the front, giving the nimiber of hours in the air each week. 
Most of this flying was, of course, done in machines 
furnished by our Allies. 

At the date of the armistice there were twenty-seven 
aviation fields in operation, with 1,000 instructors, and 
some 11,000 officers had received more or less instruction 
in flying. Of these 5,000 had been sent to France, of whom 
1,238 were on flying duty at the front at the date of the 
armistice. The total personnel of the Air Service was 
increased from 1,200 at the outbreak of the war, to 
200,000 at its close. 

In the construction of balloons we made the best show- 
ing, relatively, of any item in our preparation, producing 
676 observation and 360 miscellaneous balloons. Our 
army was plentifully supplied with "sausages." Amongst 
the "miscellaneous" were included over 200 "propaganda" 
balloons, for carrying American propaganda into 
Germany. 



Hours 



3,000 



2.000 



1,000 




May Jun. Jul. Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov. Dec 



Jan. Feb. Mar A 



1918 



1919 



Fig. 12. Hours spent in air each week by American aeroplanes 

at front. 



94 America in the World War 

An interesting feature in our balloon program was the 
development of a non-inflammable gas to replace hydrogen 
for the inflation of balloons. A balloon inflated with 
hydrogen is highly inflammable, almost explosive, as it 
may be completely enveloped in flames in twenty to thirty 
seconds. The need of a non-inflammable gas was very 
great. Prior to the war the gas helium cost $1,700 per 
cu. ft. and not more than one hundred cubic feet had ever 
been produced. We undertook the production of cheap 
helium in large quantities, and at the date of the armistice 
were constructing plants to produce 50,000 cu. ft. per day 
at a cost of ten cents per foot. 

Tanks, Tractors and Trucks 

The tank, a development of the World War, was the 
joint production of Great Britain, France and America. 
The basic invention, the caterpillar tread, was the work of 
an American. A Frenchman invented the tank as an 
instrument of war, and the British first employed it in 
battle. 

The tank made its debut in the great British drive at 
Cambrai, and thereafter was continually used. The 
British used the large tank, the French a smaller one. 
We adopted both types. Arrangements were completed 
for the joint production of fifteen hundred large tanks by 
Great Britain and America. These tanks were to cost 
$35,000 each, and the work on them was about half 



Statistical Discussion 95 

completed at the date of the armistice. In addition to 
these a like nmnber of all-American tanks of a modified 
British pattern were about half completed. 

We also let contracts for 4,440 tanks of modified 
French type, of which 64 were completed on November 1 1, 
1918, and 150 more during November and December. 
The program would have been completed by April, 1919. 
The cost of these tanks was about $11,000 each. 

We also developed two American types. One of these 
was a three-ton, two-man tank, carrying one machine gun, 
and having a speed of eight miles per honr. The Ford 
Motor Company was to build 15,000 of these tanks 
("Jitneys") beginning January 1, 1919, at a rate of one 
hundred per day, and a cost of $4,000 each. The other 
tank was a design similar in appearance to the French 
"Renault." 

In all, our tank program provided for 25,400 tanks at 
a cost of approximately $175,000,000. 

The American Army employed tanks provided by our 
Allies in both the St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne battles. 

At the date of the armistice fifteen hundred tractors for 
the use of the mobile artillery had been completed and 
shipped abroad. 

The motor truck is one of the achievements of modern 
civilization which makes possible the vast scale on which 
modern war is fought. For example the great expendi- 
tures of artillery ammunition, hereinbefore referred to. 
would be impossible without the motor truck. The vast 
concentrations of troops launched in "drives" against the 
enemy, are rapidly assembled by motor truck. In France 



96 America in the World War 

the motor truck was of all the engines of war the most 
familiar sight to the soldier. Many an American veteran 
of the World War feels that something familiar and inti- 
mate is gone from his life now that he no longer sees the 
streams of olive drab vehicles moving along the gray 
chaussees of France. 

In the modern army the motor truck and tractor have 
largely replaced the horse and mule, so that a horse drawn 
vehicle was a comparatively rare sight in the A. E. F. 
Ambulances, artillery, supply trains of nearly all classes, 
ha,ve been to a great extent "motorized." And cavalry 
officers ride in automobiles and are found in great numbers 
in the Tank Corps. 

However, in spite of the intensive use of motors, the 
American Army purchased for the World War no less than 
481,500 animals, 300,000 of them in Europe. The 
mortality amongst our dumb comrades was very high, 
73,500 deaths being recorded, or fifteen per cent. The 
average value of an equine life was $240. 

The American Expeditionary Forces never had enough 
motor trucks, and the variety of types, necessitating many 
spare parts, was a great disadvantage. This difficulty was 
being rapidly overcome by standardization. 

In April. 1917, the Army possessed 3,000 trucks and 
437 passenger autos. The program for July 1, 1919, called 
for 185,000 trucks, 30,000 ambulances, 40,000 passenger 
autos, and 70,000 motor cycles. 



Statistical Discussion 97 

Food, Clothing and Miscellaneous 
Equipment 

It was Napoleon who said, "An army travels on its 
belly." In this homely phrase is expressed the truth that 
food is the most important item of army supply, perhaps 
more important than ammunition, though in time of stress 
it sometimes must give way to the latter. 

Although suffering a shortage of many other necessary 
supplies the A. E. F. had at all times plenty of food, some 
of them for the first time in their lives. They returned to 
the gentle arts of peace weighing on the average twelve 
pounds apiece or 45,000,000 pounds together, more than 
when they joined the Army. Some of us at home went 
without things to which we had been accustomed in order 
that the fighting man might have plenty. Manifestly he 
profited by our self-denial. 

Because of our great distance from home, and the 
menace of the submarine, it was necessary to build up a 
reserve supply of food in France, This reserve varied 
from forty-eight to seventy-two days. 

The Army's meal during the war included the following 
courses : 

Table XVIII. Food consumed by American Army during 
the war, lbs. 

Beef 800,000,000 

Beans 150,000,000 

Flour 1,000,000,000 

Butter and oleo 28,500,000 

Bacon 150,000,000 

Potatoes 487,000,000 



98 America in the World War 

Canned vegetables 150,000,000 

Onions 40,000,000 

Salmon 50,000,000 

Tomatoes 380,000,000 

Prunes and evaporated fruit 108,000,000 

Sugar 350,000,000 

Cofifee 75,000,000 

The total cost of this banquet was seven hundred 
and twenty-seven millions of dollars, or about $165 per 
year for each man. Of this amount the A. E. F. consumed 
$327,000,000, the army at home eating somewhat more. 

At the date of the armistice the army was consuming 
daily 9,000,000 pounds of food, an average of about two 
and one-half pounds per man, which cost the Govern- 
ment two and a half million dollars per day. 

The Army baked its own bread, having bakeries in the 
United States and France, each with an aggregate capaci- 
ty of nearly 2,000,000 pounds of bread daily. 

Nor was the soldier deprived of dainties and luxuries. 
Uncle Sam shipped to France 21,000,000 pounds of 
candy for his consumption, 1,373,000 pounds in Novem- 
ber, 1918, alone. Also there was shipped to France a 
monthly average of 20,000,000 cigars and 425,000,000 
cigarettes. 

The cost of clothing and personal equipage for the 
army greatly exceeded the cost of food. In all about 
$2,100,000,000 was spent for textiles, rubber and leather 
goods, etc., or a quarter of all quartermaster expendi- 
tures. Nearly all of this equipment was of special pattern, 
color and size, and required making to order. The 
Government had not only to supervise the manufacture. 



Statistical Discussion 99 

It had also to commandeer or seize the sources of raw 
materials. In the case of wool, the most important raw 
material, the government seized the entire visible supply, 
allotting a minimum to civilian needs and devoting the rest 
to the army. A total of 722,000,000 pounds of wool cost- 
ing $504,000,000 was purchased and 800,000,000 square 
yards of cotton textiles; enough to carpet an area four 
times as large as the District of Columbia, or wind a 
strip three feet wide, eighteen times around the earth. 
The army's purchases of clothing in many cases 
greatly exceeded the entire annual production of the 
country in the years before the war. This was due to 
the fact that every soldier going to camp must have an 
entirely new equipment, whereas in civil life the supply 
has only to replace articles worn out. Due to our distance 
from our base it was necessary for us to create in France 
a reserve of clothing just as we created a reserve of food. 
Also the soldier is certainly "harder" on his breeches and 
shoes than the civilian. It is said that after the battle 
of St. Mihiel about every infantryman who had been in 
the attack and had gone through the German barbed 
wire, required a new issue of breeches and underdrawers. 
During the six months of hard fighting in 1918 an aver- 
age soldier required a pair of socks every twenty-three 
days, a pair of shoes every fifty-one days, a pair of 
breeches every sixty days and a coat every seventy-nine 
days. The purchases of socks for the Army alone in 
1918, exceeded by more than fifty per cent, the total aver- 
age annual output of the United States prior to the war. 



100 America in the World War 

Table XIX. Principal items of clothing delivered to the 
army, April, 1917, to Jnne, 1918 

Stockings, prs 131,800,000 

Undershirts '. . . . 85,000,000 . 

Drawers 83,600,000 

Shoes, prs 30,700,000 

Flannel shirts 26,500,000 

Blankets 21,700,000 

Woolen breeches 21,700,000 

" coats 13,900,000 

Overcoats 8,300,000 

Approximate value .$1,000,000,000 

There was at no time a shortage of either clothing or 
food in the A. E. F., and during the most critical period 
in 1918 a reserve food supply of from forty-eight to 
seventy-two days for every man was always on hand in 
France. 

Among the miscellaneous purchases of the Army were 
included the following items : 

2,728,000 steel helmets, 
5,400,000 gas masks, 

25,000 rolling kitchens, 
20,000,000 lbs. of rope and twine, 
45,000,000 safety razor blades, 
172,000,000 aspirin tablets. 
There is no class of commodities or supplies that is 
not required for the use of an army in war. For example 
moving picture film is utilized in vast quantities, not 
only for the necessary entertainment to maintain the 
spirit and morale of the soldier, but also for educational, 
historical and training .purposes. In all the supplies 
purchased for the use of the Army included 120,000 
separate items. 



Table XX. American divisions in France each month 



1917 


1918 


Jun 


Jul. 


Aug. 


Sep. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


Jan 


Feb 


Mar 


Apr 


May 


Jun. 


Jul. 


Aug 


Sep. 


Oct 


1 


1 


1 


1 


1 


1 


1 


1 


1 


1 


1 


1 


1 


I 


1 


1 


1 






2 


2 


2 


2 


2 


2 


2 


2 


2 


2 


2 


2 


2 


2 


2 








26 


26 


26 


26 


26 


26 


26 


26 


26 


26 


26 


26 


26 


26 












42 


42 


42 


42 


42 


42 


42 


42 


42 


42 


42 


42 














41 


41 


41 


41 


41 


41 


41 


41 


41 


41 


41 


















32 


32 
5 
3 


32 
5 
3 

77 


32 
5 
3 

77 
82 
35 
28 

4 
27 


32 
5 
3 

77 
82 
35 
28 
4 
27 


32 
5 
3 

77 
82 
35 
28 
4 
27 


32 
5 
3 

77 
82 
35 
28 
4 

1 


32 
S 

3 

77 
82 
35 
28 

4 
27 


32 
5 
3 

77 
82 
35 
28 
4 
27 
























6 


6 


6 


6 


6 
























33 


33 


33 


33 


33 


33 
























30 


30 


30 


30 


30 


30 
























80 


80 
78 
83 
89 
92 
90 
37 
29 


80 
78 
83 
89 
92 
90 
37 
29 
76 
79 
91 
36 


80 
78 
83 
89 
92 
90 
37 
29 
76 
79 
91 
36 
85 
7 
81 
88 
39 
40 


80 
78 
83 
89 
92 
90 
37 
29 
76 
79 
91 
36 
85 
7 
81 
88 
39 
40 
87 
84 
86 
34 


80 
78 
83 
89 
92 
90 
37 
29 
76 
79 
91 
36 
85 

7 
81 
88 
39 
40 
87 
84 
86 
34 
31 
38 

8 



102 America in the World War 



The American Army in Battle 

Forty-two American divisions went to France, and of 
this number twenty-nine engaged in active combat. Of 
2,084,000 American soldiers who reached Europe, 1,390.- 
000 or about two in every three, saw active service on the 
battlefront. 

Table 20 shows the date on which the advanced elements 
of each division reached France, and the divisions in 
France ^uring each month from the opening of the war 
to the date of the armistice. 

Fig. 13 shows the months in which each division sent 
to France was organized, arrived as a unit in France, 
entered the line in a quiet sector, and entered battle as 
an active combat division. 

In the spring of 1918 the German "rifle strength" on 
the Western Front exceeded that of the Allied Armies by 
over 300,000. Fig. 14 shows the effect of the American 
intervention on the rifle strength of the belligerents. On 
June 15 the two armies were on an equal basis and 
thereafter the Allied Armies rapidly increased their rela- 
tive strength until at the date of the armistice they had 
a rifle superiority of over 600,000. This was due entirely 
to the arrival of the Americans. 

From April 25, 1918, when the first American division 
entered an active sector on the front near Montdidier 
(Cantigny sector), American troops were continuously 
engaged in battle for two hundred days, or until the 




Organization to arr 
Arrival in France to 
Entering line to act 



vol in Franca, 
entering line .. 
ve battle service..- 1 



Service as active combat division. 



Fig. 13. Dates of organization, arrival in France and entering the 

line. 



104 



America in the World War 



2,000,000 



1.500,000 



1,000,000 



500,000 



"l.Teg ooo 


T,6dQ000 


A 

^39,000 


LLIED 

> 

T556.000 




4,682,000 


4^.000 






^I^JTooo 


'1!m3,000 


G 


ER.MA 


1.395.000 


,^339,000 


;1,2 23,000 














\ 

















1,485.000 



866,000 



Apr. 1 Mayl Junel Julyl Aug.l Sspil Oct.l Nov.l 
Fig. 14. Rifle strength on Western Front, 1918. 

date of the armistice, November 11, 1918. Even prior 
to this date, however, American troops serving -with the 
British and French had been in action, but not as divisions. 
Table 21 shows the thirteen major operations in which 
American troops engaged during tlie World War. The 
number was a most unlucky one — for Germany. Of 
these actions twelve were fought in France and one in 
Italy. Eleven were joint operations with the French, 
British and Italians, and two (St. Mihiel and the Meuse- 
Argonne) were distinctively American operations. . 



Statistical Discussion 105 

Table XXI, Thirteen major operations in which Americans 
participated 

Operation Approximate num- 

ber of Americans 
engaged 
West Front — Campaign of 1917: 

Cambrai, Nov. 20 to Dec. 4 2,500 

West Front — Campaign of 1918: 

German offensive, Mar. 21 to July 18 — 

Somme, Mar. 21 to Apr. 6 2,200 

Lys, Apr. 9 to 27 500 

Aisne, May 27 to June 5 27,500 

Noyon-Montdidier, June 9 to 15 27,000 

Champagne-Marne, July 15 to 18 85,000 

Allied offenses, July 18 to Nov. 11 — 

Aisne-Marne, July 18 to Aug. 6 270,000 

Somme, Aug. 8 to Nov. 11 54,000 

Oise-Aisne, Aug. 18 to Nov. 11 85,000 

Ypres-Lys, Aug. 19 to Nov. 11 108,000 

St. Mihiel, Sept. 12 to 16 550,000 

Meuse-Argonne, Sept. 20 to Nov. 11 1,200,000 

Italian front — Campaign of 1918: 

Vittorio-Veneto, Oct. 24 to Nov. 4 1,200 

The first battle in which American troops were engaged 
was on the British front at Cambrai, where American 
engineers and medical units serving with the British 
assisted in checking the Gemian drive, November 20 to 
December 4, 1917. The first action in which a complete 
American division was engaged was the capture of Can- 
tigny (near Mondidier) by the 1st Division, May 28, 
1918. The first attack by an i\merican Arm.y under 
American, command, was the Battle of St. Mihiel, Sep- 
tember 12 to 16, 1918. The greatest battle ever waged by 
America was the Meuse-Argonne, which opened Septem- 
ber 26, and continued without cessation until the 
Armistice. 



106 



America in the World War 



Divi- 
sion 



1^.1 

26^^ 

42 nd 

2 n*^ 

77 fh 

Z2^ 

35 Lh 

3rd 
89th 

29th 

90th 
37 ^^ 

27Lh 
30>h 
92nil 
79 th 
4-t-h 

78th 
7 th 
8P-t 
91 st 
88th 
36th 
80th 



Toial 



Quiet 



127 

148 

125 

71 

47 

71 

70 

92 

60 



55 

59 

31 

42 

50 

32 





51 

28 

7 

40 

17 

31 

31 

15 

28 



1 



1.329 



Acfivc 



93 
45 
39 
66 
66 
32 
27 
5 
35 
86 
28 
23 
49 
26 

n 

27 
57 
56 

2 
17 
38 


21 

2 


14 


23 
17 



905 



Quiet 



Active 



Total 



193 



2270 



164 



J 137 




Fig. 15. Days spent by each division in quiet and active sectors. 



In October, 1918, the American Army held 101 miles of 
battle lines, or twenty-three percent of the entire Western 
Front, This was greater than the front held by Great 
Britain on the same date. 



Statistical Discussion 



107 



Battle Statistics of American Com- 
bat Divisions 

The accompanying figures (15 to 18, inc.) tell graphi- 
cally the story of the achievements of the twenty-nine 
American combat divisions in the World War. No con- 
clusions as to the relative merits and fightino; capacity 
of the divisions can be drawn from these statistics alone. 



Divi- 
sion 


Kilo- 
meters 


Miles 


77 *h 


71^ 


44j 


2nd 


60 


37i 


42 nd 


55 


34 


ist. 


51 


32 


89Lh 


48 


30 


3Td 


41 


25^ 


80th 


38 


234 


26 1h 


37 


23 


32 1 h 


36 


22i 


331^ 


36 


22j 


911^ 


34 


21 


37 th 


30 


19 


30 Lh 


23if 


18} 


5l> 


29 


18 


90 ^h 


28^: 


17,1 


4 th 


24| 


15 


78t-h 


21 


13 


36 Ih 


21 


13 


79 ^h 


19* 


12 


82 1"^ 


17 


?^ 


35 ^h 


12*! 


27 Lh 


11 


7 


28 Ih 


10 


6 


32 rvd 


8 


5 


29 bh 


7 


4 


81 St 


5^ 


3* 


7 th 


1 


1 
5 


6fK 








881^ 








Tola! 


782i 


486i 



Per Cc nt 



19.14 



17,67 



■ 7.03 
6.52 



16.13 



{^■S.24 
■ 4.86 
I 4.73 
14.60 
4 60 




1.13 



Fig. i6. Distance advanced against hostile resistance by each 

division. 



Divi- 


Men 




sion 


capiured 




2nd 


12,026 




I»-* 


6,469 




89 ^^^ 


5,061 




33'--^ 


3,987 


■§■■■■ ^^^ 


30th 


3,848 


■■■■■■ 6.10 


26^^^ 


3,14-8 


■■■■■4 99 


4^ 


2,756 


■■■■14 37 


91^^ 


2,412 


^^^B 382 


IV-^ 


2,357 


^■^■3 74 


5»> 


2,356 


Wt^M^"^^ 


ord 


2.240 


^■■3 55 


29ih 


2,187 


■■§■3.47 


32™^' 


2,153 


■^■■3.41 


90*-^ 


1.876 


^■■12.97 


80^^^ 


1,813 


■■■ 2.87 


37 >> 


1,495 


■■ 2 37 


42nd 


1,317 


■■2 09 


7?'.^^ 


1,077 


■1 1.71 


28*h 


921 


■i 1-46 


82'^-'^ 


845 


§■1.34 


35^^ 


781 


■ 1.24 


77^^ 


750 


■ 1 13 


36'^ 


549 


■ .87 


78'-^^ 


432 


■ .68 


81'-^ 


101 


1 .16 


7'H 


69 


|.n 


92f> 


38 


|.06 


6^> 


12 


1.02 


88 1^^ 


3 


.00 


Total 


63, 079 





; 10.26 



802 



Fig. 17. Prisoners captured by each division. 



Statistical Discussion 



109 



Division 


Baitle 
deaths 


Wounded 


Killed 


TOTAL CASUALTIES 
Wounded 


2 nd 

3rd 

28 th 
42 nd 

26 th 

32 "d 
4fh 

77 th 

27 th 
30 th 

5 th 
82 nd 

89 th 

35 th 

90 th 

33 rd 

78 th 

79 th 

80 th 

91 s.t 
37 th 

29 th 

36 th 
7 th 

92 nd 

81 5t 

6 th 
88 th 


4,478 

4,41 1 

3.177 

2.551 

2.644 

2.135 

2.915 

2,611 

1.992 

1.785 

1,629 

1,976 

1,298 

1,433 

1,067 

1,392 

989 

1,384 

1.419 

1.132 

1.414 

977 

951 

600 

296 

176 

251 

93 

29 


17752 

17,201 

12,940 

11.429 

11,275 

11,325 

10,477 

9,893 

8,505 

7,201 

7,325 

6,864 

6,248 

5.858 

6,216 

5,885 

6,266 

5.861 

5,331 

5.000 

4.364 

4.266 

4,268 

1,928 

1,397 

1,466 

973 

453 

89 




_| ZZ.ZJO 


1 Zl.bIZ 


■^■B 


1 lb 11/ 


■■■ 


1 13.980 


■^■i 


1 13 919 


^^ 


|1^ -IfiO 


^■^H 


li:^.i92 


Ifl^B 


1 t2,b04 


H 


110,4.97 




1 8.986 
1 8.954 


^■i 


1 8.840 




1 / 1,46 




17.291 




1 /.783 




I/.2// 
17.255 
1 7. 245 




lfi,750 




HI 8,132 




ZI 5,778 




35.243 




D 5.219 


■ 1 2.bi 
1 11.693 
1 11,642 
Dl.224 
546 
D 118 


18 


Total 
Othars 


47.205 
3.075 


198,056 
7.634 




Grand total 


50,280 


205,690 





Fig. 18. Battle casualties of each division. 



The accomplishments of any particular division of course 
depended greatly on the length of time it was in battle, 
the nature of its operations, whether defensive or offensive, 
the nature of the terrain in which it operated, the amount 
of hostile resistance encountered, and many other condi- 
tions. For example, the slowest advance in combat was 
often accompanied by the heaviest casualties. The First 



110 America in the World War 

Division, being the first organized and transported to 
France, was naturally the first to enter the line, the first 
to engage in combat, and spent the longest period in line. 

For valor in action the following decorations were 
awarded to American troops, including the combat divi- 
sions and their auxiliary troops, air service, tank corp<, 
etc. 

78 Congressional Medals of Honor, the 
highest award, 
5,133 Distinguished Service Crosses, 
93 Oak leaf clusters, 



5,304 Total number of decorations. 

The total cost of awarding all these emblems of valor 
was over $10,000,000. In addition to American awards, 
many foreign decorations were conferred upon American 
heroes. In addition to these awards there were 4,759 
citations for gallantry in action in the A. E. F., for which 
no decorations were conferred. 

Table 22 gives the awards of American decorations 
by division. 



Statistical Discussion 



111 



Table XXII. American awards for valor in action, by 
division and service 





MM. 


D.S.C. 


Oak Leaf 
Cluster 


Total 


2nd 


• 7 


673 


13 


693 


1st 


2 


415 


3 


420 


3rd 


2 


328 


2 


332 


30th 


12 


307 


, , 


319 


26th 


2 


269 


5 


276 


32nd 




250 


, , 


250 


42nd 


2 


239 


4 


245 


77th 


6 


202 


3 


211 


33rd 


9 


202 




211 


5th 


2 


197 




199 


27th 


6 


161 


2 


169 


29th 


3 


159 




162 


4th 




159 




159 


91st 


4 


143 


i 


148 


89th 


9 


137 




146 


28th 


1 


138 


4 


143 


78th 


1 


116 




117 


82nd 


2 


94 




96 


90th 


, , 


88 




88 


79th 




88 




88 


35th 


2 


85 




88 


93rd 


1 


69 




70 


37th 




52 




52 


80th 


. 


50 




50 


36th 


2 


39 




41 


7th 




37 




37 


81st 




23 




23 


92nd 




22 




22 


6th 




15 




15 


88th 




1 




1 


Air Service . . 


1 


232 


si 


284 


Tank Corps. . 


2 


41 


4 


47 


CAC 


, , 


10 


. , 


10 


Others. ..... 




92 


•• 


92 



78 



5,133 



93 



5,304 



M, H. — Congressional Medal of Honor. 

D. S. C. — Distinguished Service Cross, for valor. 

2)9% of all awards were to officers. 

61% of all awards were to enlisted men. 



112 America in the World War 

Health and Casualties 

This was at once the deadliest and the healthiest of 
wars; deadliest measured by the proportion of killed; 
healthiest in consideration of the comparative immunity 
from disease enjoyed by the soldier as compared with 
his experience in previous wars. 

The number of soldiers killed was seven and a half 
millions, which exceeds the combined casualties of all 
previous wars for a hundred years. The proportion of 
killed to numbers engaged was also greater than ever 
before in history. 

Becfiuse of the relatively short time we were engaged 
our losses were much less than those of other com^batants. 
Of every one hundred American soldiers who took part 
in the war, two were killed or died of wounds or disease. 

The following table is the latest statement of casual- 
ties in the American Expeditionary Forces, issued by the 
Adjutant General, U. S. Army. It differs slightly from 
previous statements. 



Table XXIII. Casualties in American Expeditionary 
Forces 

Killed in action 34,844 

Died of wounds 13,960 

Total "battle deaths" 48,804 

Died of disease 23,739 

Died from accidents, etc 5,102 

Total deaths, all causes •, . . 77,645 

Wounded in action 215,423 

Total casualties 293,068 

Prisoners (subsequently released) 4,480 

Missing 3 



Statistical Discussion 113 

About twenty-five per cent of all battle casualties were 
due to gas. Three hundred and eighty deaths were due to 
submarines. 

The weekly rate of battle deaths in the A. E. F. is 
shown in Fig. 19. It indicates the more important actions 
in which American troops engaged; Cantigny in May, 
1918; the second Battle of the Marne and the allied 
operations following it in July and August ; St. Mihiel 
in September ; and the Meuse-Argonne, September to 
November, 1918. The highest death rate was early in 
October, 1918, when 6,589 Americans were killed in 
battle in one week. 

The first American casualties occurred in the 1st Divi- 
sion when four soldiers w^re killed near Bathelemont in 
Lorraine, November 3, 1917. They were buried near 
where they fell. 

Many casualties, including battle deaths, were suf- 
fered by organizations which never reached the front. 
Many men "deserted" from these organizations, worked 
their way up to the front and joined in the battle, where 
numbers of them were killed and wounded. 

The battle deaths per one thousand officers and men 
actually in France, by arm of the service, were as follows : 

Table XXIV. Battle deaths per 1,000 in A. E. F. 

Arm of service Officers Men 

Infantry and Machine Guns 80. 5 51.7 

Air Service ?>3.3> 1.6 

Engineers 11.5 6.5 

Tank Corps 11.5 5.4 

ArtiUery 8.1 5.6 

Signal Corps 3.8 7.8 

Medical Department 1.7 1.9 



MEUSE-AR.GONNE 



CHATEAU -TH1ERR.Y 






CANTIGNY 






lil^ 




L._ 



Jan. I Fab. \Mar. | Apr. | Moy [June |July |Aug. [Sept. I Oct. j Nov. [Dec. 

1918 



Fig. iq. American battle deaths by weeks. 



Statistical Discussion 115 

Casualties were thus heaviest in the infantry where 
the probability of being killed is at least seven to eight 
times as great as in any other arm except the air service and 
combat engineer regiments. Amongst the officers the 
regulars suffered heavier proportionate losses than non- 
regulars, and West Pointers more than non-graduates. 
The death rate amongst officers is considerably higher 
than amongst enlisted men, especially in the air service, as 
all aviators in our army are officers. For every man killed 
about five were wounded. Of the wounded sent to 
hospitals about eighty-five per cent ultimately returned to 
duty. 

The battle casualties of the twenty-nine principal com- 
bat divisions are surmnarized as follows : 



Table XXV. Summary of battle casualties of combat 
divisions 

Average number of days in line in an "active sector" .31 

Average battle deaths per division 1,628 

Average battle casualties (killed and wounded) per division . . 8,454 

Proportion of killed to total battle casualties 1 to5 . 5 

Average percentage of battle casualties to total strength 30 

Maximum battle casualties in any division 22,230 

Percentage of total strength of division 80 

During forty-seven days of the Meuse-Argonne, the 
greatest battle in American history, about 120,000 Amer- 
icans were killed or wounded, or exactly ten percent of 
the number engaged. 

The total number of deaths in the army aiid navy was 
approxirriately 125,000, of whicli nearly two-thirds oc- 
curred overseas. Almost exactly half of all deaths in 
the army as a whole were due to disease, but in the 



116 America in the World War 

A. E. F. the number of deaths due to disease was less 
than half the number due to battle. The large number of 
deaths from disease in the United States was caused 
chiefly by the epidemic of "flu." 

The late conflict was the first war in which the United 
States has engaged in which the number of deaths from 
battle approached that from disease. This does not mean 
that the death rate of battle was higher, but that the 
death rate from disease was lower. The following table 
shows the death rates of disease and battle in several of 
our wars. The figures are deaths per one thousand men 
per year, and are hence comparable. 

Table XXVI. Death rates of disease and battle in A merican 
wars, per 1,000 men per year 

War Deaths from Deaths from Proportion 

disease Battle 

Mexican 110 15 7 to 1 

Civil 65 33, 2 to 1 

Spanish 26 5 5 to 1 

World(A.E. F.). 19 53 1 to 2^^ 

Thus the death rate from disease in war has been 
steadily reduced as sanitary conditions and methods of 
coping with disease have improved. The death rate from 
,disease in the A. E. F. was only one-sixth that of the 
American Army in the Mexican War. In the past, in- 
testinal diseases have ravaged and sometimes obliterated 
armies. In our Spanish War eighty-five percent of all 
deaths was due to typhoid fever. In the World War this 
disease was practically eliminated, only 227 deaths result- 
ing from this cause. Pneumonia was the greatest enemy 



Statistical Discussion 117 

during the World War, causing a loss of more than 
45,000 men, or over eighty per cent of all deaths from 
disease. Most of these occurred in the United States. 

Hospital facilities were generally adequate. On 
December 1, 1918, there were 400,000 beds available, 
or one for every nine men. 

The mortality amongst our dumb allies, the horses and 
mules, was much higher than in the human combatant 
forces, their death rate being 73,500 of a total of 
481,500, or about fifteen per cent. 

The following table shows the battle deaths and 
wounded of the A. E. F. by states. "Battle deaths" in- 
clude "killed and died of wounds." 

Table XXVIT. Battle casualties by States 
State Battle Deaths Wounded 

Alabama 722 3,861 

Arizona 97 401 

Arkansas 404 1,751 

CaHfornia 1,157 4,844 

Colorado 276 1,175 

Connecticut 908 4,766 

Delaware 34 212 

District of Columbia 103 565 

Florida 117 681 

Georgia 501 2,851 

Idaho 275 933 

Illinois 2,605 13,794 

Indiana.... 915 4,200 

Iowa 1,168 5,056 

Kansas 771 3,838 

Kentucky 855 3,884 

Louisiana 325 1,319 

Maine 342 1,555 



118 America in the World War 

State 

Maryland 

Massachusetts 

Michigan 

Minnesota 

Mississippi 

Missouri 

Montana 

Nebraska 

Nevada 

New Hampshire 

New Jersey. . 

New Mexico 

New York 

North Carolina 

North Dakota 

Ohio 

Oklahoma 

Oregon 

Penns3dvania 

Rhode Island 

South Carolina 

South Dakota 

Tennessee 

Texas 

Utah 

Vermont 

Virginia 

Washington 

West Virginia 

Wisconsin 

Wyoming 

Alaska 

Canal Zone 

Hawaiian Islands 

Philippine Islands 

Porto Rico 

Foreign 

Total 47,949 221,059 



Battle deaths 


Woufuied 


625 


2,804 


1,988 


10,320 


1,846 


7,528 


1,245 


5,084 


288 


1,373 


1,537 


7,712 


681 


2,469 


546 


2,166 


47 


176 


241 


1,158 


1,554 


7,620 


142 


624 


6,621 


30,149 


922 


4,128 


474 


1,825 


2,622 


11,766 


993 


4,801 


307 


1,054 


5,517 


26,252 


230 


1,172 


460 


2.765 


288 


1,297 


930 


4,293 


1,620 


7,331 


183 


697 


166 


847 


955 


4,452 


624 


2,171 


714 


2,904 


1,545 


7,086 


137 


440 


2 


9 


1 


1 


2 


8 


1 


4 




11 


110 


876 



Statistical Discussion 119 

The greatest number of battle deaths was suffered by 
New York, which lost 6,621 men or almost exactly the 
number of Americans killed during the most tragic week 
of the War (October, 1918). The highest proportion 
of battle deaths to number of men engaged was suffered 
by Montana which lost 17.2 per cent of all her men in 
service. 

American dead were buried generally near the spot 
where they died. A total of 80,000 American graves are 
distributed over eight countries of Europe, of which some 
76,000 have been identified and registered. There are 
over one hundred American Military Cemeteries in France, 
the principal one being at Romague, near Montfaucon 
on the Meuse-Argonne battlefield, where more than 
23,000 Americans are interred. American dead will be re- 
turned to the United States when so desired by relatives, 
but probably nearly half of them will remain in Europe. 

There are to be seven large cemeteries as follows : 
Suresne near Paris ; Romagne ( Meuse-Argonne) ; Belleau 
(Aisne-Marne) ; Fere-en-Tardenois (Oise-Aisne) ; St. 
Mihiel; Verdun; Bony (Somme) ; Flanders (Ypres-Lys). 



Cost of the War 

The high cost of living in these days is as nothing com- 
pared to the high cost of war. The late conflict far 
exceeded in cost the total of all previous wars in the 
history of the world. The total direct cost of all wars 
from 1793 to 1910 inclusive was approximately twenty- 



120 America in the World War 

tive billions of dollars or less than one-seventh that of 
the World War alone. This period included such great 
conflicts as the Napoleonic Avars, the American Civil 
War, the Crimean, Franco- Prussian and Russo-Japanese 
Wars, all of which, individually or collectively, were 
insignificant in comparison with the great war. 

In twenty-four months of war, from April, 1917, to 
April, 1919, the direct cost of the conflict to the United 
States was nearly twenty-three billions of dollars. In 
addition there was authorized ten billions for loans to 
our allies, nearly all of which has been paid out. The 
war thus cost us the staggering total of thirty-three billions 
of dollars. This is more than twenty-five times our pre- 
war national debt. Our expenditures in the World War 
would have carried on the Revolution for a thousand 
years. 

The average rate of expenditures (including loans) 
was nearly two million dollars per hour, or $1,375,000,000 
per month, for a period of two years, and the average 
cost to each citizen of the United States about $300. 
This was over twenty times the average rate of expendi- 
ture of the Federal Government during our Civil War. 
The rate of expenditure rapidly increased as the war 
progressed. In the last year the rate was more than 
double that of the first year. 

War costs the United States more than it costs any 
other nation. In less than two years we expended nearly 
as much as France in more than four years, and at the 
close of the war our rate of expenditure exceeded the 



Statistical Discussion 121 

combined rates of France and Great. Britain or of Ger- 
many and Austria. 

The total expenditure on behalf of the Army alone 
was nearly fifteen billions, or more than the value of all 
the gold produced in the world since the discovery of 
America. 

The following table and diagram show in detail the 
expenditures of the Army up to April, 1919. 

Table XXVIII. Expenditures by army bureaus 

Expended to Per cent 
Apr. 30, 1919 

Quartermaster corps: 

Pay of the army, etc $1,831,273,000 12.9 

Other Quartermaster corps appro- 
priations 6,242,745,000 43.8 

Ordnance department 4,087,347,000 28 . 7 

Air service 859,291,000 6.0 

Corps of Engineers 638,974,000 4 . 5 

Medical department 314,544,000 2 . 2 

Signal corps 128,920,000 .9 

Chemical warfare service 83,299,000 .6 

Provost marshal general *24,301,000 . 17 

Secretary's office and miscellaneous. . *33, 367, 000 .23 

Total 14,244,061,000 100.00 

*Figures are for December 31, 1918. Expenditures since that date 
for these purposes have been small compared with other items in table. 



\? 



^A/G 









^A'^^ 



'^^ 



^ 



-e/)A, 



AIR SERVICE 
6 cents 



QUARTERMASTER. 
44 cents 



o ^ 



Fig. 20. Where the Army's dollar went. 



Statistical Discussion 123 

The costs of some of the important wars of the United 
States were as follows : 



Table XXIX. Cost of American Wars 

Approximate Ex- 
penditure for Army 
and Navy 

Revolution , $150,000,000 

1812 90,000,000 

Mexican 120,000,000 

Civil 3,000,000,000 

Spanish 400,000,000 

World 15,000,000,000 

The cost of the Franco- Prussian War to both bel- 
ligerents was approximately two and one-half billions 
of dollars. 

Following each of the great wars of the United States 
from one to eight years have been required to restore 
equilibrium. In each case the post-war expenditures of 
the nation have greatly increased. 

Table XXX. Annual expenditures of the government in 
millions of dollars before and after various wars 

Before After % of increase 

1812 13.8 21.2 55 

Mexican 28.1 53.6 91 

Civil 77.3 365.6 372 

Spanish.. 484.6 708.8 46 

The maximum annual expenditure during the Civil War 
as compared with the pre-war average, was 2,453 per cent. 
For the World War the figure was 2,170 per cent. 

The total expenditure of the Federal Government from 
the foundation of the Republic to the opening of the 



124 America in the World War 

World War, was approximately twenty-seven billions of 
dollars. During the W^orld War alone we expended thirty- 
three billions, including loans. 

International Comparisons 

Comparisons are said to be sometimes odious, and this 
might especially be true of -international comparisons. 
It is hoped that the following will not be found so. 
America's effort in the World War can be properly meas- 
ured only by comparison Avith her allies and enemies. 
Moreover our gallant Allies do not suffer by the com- 
parison. In proportion to their wealth and resources their 
efforts were greater than our own. We use them as a 
measure, and to show only that American participation 
was a powerful aid in the winning of the war. 

Because of the relatively brief period of our partici- 
pation the United States, although the wealthiest of na- 
tions, was not the chief contributor in meeting the cost 
of the war, as the following will show. 

Table XXXI. World War expenditures of belligerent nations 
{in billions of dollars) 

Country War National 

Expenditures wealth 

British Empire 38 85 

France 26 67 

United States 23 230 

Russia 18 45 

Italy 13 25 

Others 6 

Total, Allied Powers 124 



Statistical Discussion 125 

Country War National 

Expenditures wealth 

Germany 39 78 

Austria-Hungary 21 30 

Turkey and Bulgaria 3 10 

Total, Central Powers 63 

Grand total 187 

In addition to foregoing, however, we made loans of 
$10,000,000,000 to our allies. 

These expenditures are shown graphically in Fig. 21. 

The United States expended about ten percent of their 
accumulated wealth or, including loans, fifteen per cent. 
Germany expended exactly half her accumulated wealth. 
The table indicates that the Central Powers, being better 
prepared for war, conducted it at about half the cost to the 
Allied Powers. Our rate of expenditure during the time 
we were in the war, far exceeded that of any other nation, 
allied or hostile. 

The indirect costs of the war are very difficult to estimate. 
They have been very roughly stated as one hundred and 
fifty-two billions of dollars, and this estimate is probably 
conservative. The principal items of the indirect losses 
according to this approximate estimate, are as follows : 

Table XXXII. Indirect costs of World War (in billions 'of dollars) 

Capitalized value of lives lost 67 

Property destroyed 37 

Loss of production 45 

Miscellaneous 3 

Total 152 



V^y. 



Germarjy 39 

British Empire 38 
France 26 

\}r\\\(i6 Siates 22 
Auslna -Hungary 21 ^ 

R_ussia 18 

Italy 13 

Belgium, Rouma-nia | 
PoHugal.Jugo-SIaviaJ ^ 

Turkey if Bulgana 3 

Japon 4 Greece 1 I 
Toial 186 



Billions of dollars spent 



^ 



Fig. 21. War expenditures of belligerents. 



Statistical Discussion 



127 



The ''capitalized value" of human life, according to 
this estimate varies from $4,750 in the United States to 
about $2,000 in southeastern Europe. It is estimated 
that some 9,000,000 civilians lost their lives as a result 
of the war. 

Figure 22 presents comparative data as to the strength, 
equipment and frontage of thq Allied Armies at the date 
of the armistice, while Figs. 23 and 24 show the lengths 
and percentages of the frontages defended by these armies 
at various times during 1918. 

Aeroplanes included only those in service at the front, 
and guns only those organized in batteries. 

The showing of America is good in consideration of 
the short time we had been engaged and our utter unpre- 
paredness at the start. 



WEST FRONT. NOV 11.1918 

Ration strenqth 

Lenqfh of front held 

Artillery in batteries Y^m/////m'/.^:^,////M 



Per cent- of totol for three nations 
French British P^jr)fir\co.u 

fail 




Airplane strength WmM/mA ^^.MmmM 



30 



ALL FRONTS, YEAR 1918 

Artillery ammunition 
fired, including training 



Small arms ammunition ^ 
fired, including training 



m:^mm 



46 



Fig. 22. Comparative strengths, length of front held, etc., by 

Allied Armies. 



128 



America in the World War 



American 



British 



French 



Belgian 




Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov 
31 28 21 10 10 10 10 10 l6 10 11 



Fi(i. 2^. Kilometers-of Western Front held by each of Allied Armies, 

1918. 



Statistical Discussion 



129 



Belm 



French 



British American 




n 



Fig. 24. Percentage of Western PVont held each month of 
19 18 by each of Allied Armies. 

The following table shows the strength of the princi- 
pal belligerents at the date of the armistice : 



Table XXXIII. Troops, aeroplanes and ^ims of principal 
belligerents, November, 1918 

Country Battle Aeroplanes Guns 
Strength 

France 2,560,000 3,321 11,638 

Great Britain 1,720,000 1,758 6,993 

United States 1,950,000 740 3,008 

Germany 3,562,000 2,730 9,870 

Total 9,792,000 8,549 31,509 



130 



America in the World War 



The "late conflict" involved fifty-two actual declara- 
tions of war and twenty-eight severances of diplomatic 
relations. 

Figures 25 and 26 show the comparative national pro- 
ductions of certain weapons and munitions during the 



British 
American 


LIGHT ARTILLERY 




3,599 


1 


^K]^26jm 




British 
American 


HEAVY ARTILLERY 




379 1 




IBi^mi^HHKz^l^lHHIHii 


^H 






British 
American 


LIGHT ARTILLERY SHELLS 




23.328.000 




^jiMnessi \ 






British 
American 


HEAVY ARTILLERY SHELLS 




l,l&3,OOo| 


SUsIXililsl ■ 







Fig. 25. Comparative manufacture of artillery and ammunition 
in first 20 months of war. 

period of American participation. They show that Amer- 
ica had rapidly organized her industries on a war basis 
and was contributing in large measure to the needs of 



Statistical Discussion 



131 



the Allied Armies. In the production of rifles and smoke- 
less powder, heavy artillery and all classes of artillery 
ammunition, we exceeded that of either of our principal 
allies. This however, was not more than should have 
been expected of the greatest of industrial nations. 



RIFLES 



GreaV Britain 
France 
Unifcd States 



1. 963,514 
1, 396,938 
2,505,910 




MACHINE GUNS & AUTOMATIC RIFLES 



Orea\ Britain 
France 
United States 



179,127 
223,317 
181,662 




RIFLE & MACHINE GUN AMMUNITION 



Great Britain 
France 
United States 



3,428,195,000 [ 

2,959,285iOO0 

2,879.148,000 



SMOKELESS POWDER- POUNDS 



Great Britain 
France 
United States 



291,706,000 [ 

342.155,000 

632,504,000 



HIGH EXPLOSIVES -POUNDS 



Great Britain 
France 
United Stales 



765,110,000 [ 

702,964,000 

375,656i000 



Fig. 26. Comparative productions of rifles, machine guns and 
explosives during period of American participation in the war. 



132 



America in the World War 



The loss of life in the World War probably equalled 
that of all previous Avars in history. Seven and a half 
millions of soldiers were killed in battle or died of wounds, 
not to mention the deaths of civilians. Fig. 27 tells the 
tragedies of the nations. 



"Russia 


J. 700. 000 1 




n 










Germany 


1.600.000 r^'^^'-''''^>;'^mmmMm^^ 


WM/M 


1 










France 


1.385,300 


1 




GreoJ Britain 


900.0001 1 




Austria 


800.000 L., .„ : J 




Italy 


364,000 1 












Turkey 


26Q00Opi3i 




Serbia ic Montenegro 


125,000 






Belgium 


102,000 ^ 






Koumania 


100,000 □ 






Bulgaria 


100,000 B 






United Stot-es 


50,300 [] 






Greece 


7,000 [ 






Portugol 


2,000 1 







Total 7,485,600 

Fig. 27. Battle deaths of belligerents in llie World War. 

The following table gives in round numbers the total 
number of troops mobilized for the war, the battle losses, 
and percent of losses, for all combatants. These figures 
are not to be regarded as more than approximate estimates, 
except in cases of the principal allied nations, whose 



Statistical Discussion 133 

records are fairly accurate. Accordingly some disagree- 
ments between this table and Fig. 27 may be observed. 

This table furnishes much interesting information. The 
Allied Powers mobilized more than twice as many men 
as the Central Powers. But if the struggle be regarded 
essentially as one between France, Great Britain, Italy 
and the United States on one side, and Germany and 
Austria on the other, the disparity is not so great, the 
figures being about 28,000,000 against 17,500,000. The 
Allied Powers suffered much greater losses, but a smaller 
percentage of losses than the Central Powers. Generally 
speaking about twelve men out of every one hundred 
mobilized, were killed. Belgium was the greatest sufferer, 
losing nineteen men of every hundred. 

Russia mobilized the largest, though by no means the 
strongest army, and suffered the largest number of total 
losses. France mobilized for the conflict over twenty per 
cent of her entire pre-war population or two out of every 
five males of all ages. Germany, mobilized seventeen per 
cent of her population. The tremendous proportion of 
men mobilized by France speaks volumes for the fighting 
stamina of the nation. On the same basis the ultimate 
mobilization of fighting men in America would have been 
nearly twenty-five millions. It is quite evident that, in 
the words of John Paul Jones we "had not begun to fight." 
But we bow to our gallant ally, who put forth in this war 
the mightiest effort (in proportion to size) ever made by a 
nation in defense of its liberties. 



134 



America in the World War 



Fable XXXIV, Mobilized strength ani battle losses of prin- 
cipal combatants in World War 



Country 


Mobilized 
Strength 


Battle 
Losses 


% of Loss 


Russia 


12,000,000 


1,700,000 


14.2 






France 


8,500,000 


1,385,000 


16 3 






British Empire 


7,500,000 


900,000 


12. 


Italy 


5,500,000 


364,000 


6.6 






United States. 


4,250,000 


50,000 


1.2 






Japan 


800,000 


300 








Belgium 


267,000 


50,000 


19. 






Rumania 


750,000 


100,000 


13.3 






Serbia 


707,000 


110,000 


15.5 






Greece 


230,000 


10,000 


4.4 






Portugal 


50,000 


2,000 


4. 






Montenegro 


50,000 


8,000 


16. 






Total Allied 


40,604,000 


4,679,000 


11.5 






Germany 


11,000,000 


1,600,000 


14.5 






Austria 


6,500,000 


800,000 


12.3 






Turkey 


1,600,000 


250,000 


15.6 


Bulgaria 


400,000 


50,000 


12.5 


Total Central Powers 


19,500,000 


2,700,000 


13.8 


Grand Total 


60,104,000 


7,379,000 


12.3 







The table includes "killed or died of wounds" only. The total 
deaths from all causes was very much greater. These figures exceed 
the total losses in all previous wars. 



Statistical Discussion 135 

in check. Does preparedness pay? Today we owe our 
own safety and independence to the fact that France, 
wiser than ourselves, 7iias prepared. 

In comparison with the marvelous performances of a 
nation having one-fifteenth the area, one-third the popu- 
lation and less than one-third the accumulated wealth of 
America, our own achievements seem not so wonderful as 
they would otherwise appear. Any "international com- 
parison" which seems to belittle the accomplishments of 
France, is misleading and false. To her the greatest 
credit is due, and we gratefully acknowledge our debt. 

And in almost if not quite equal measure the thanks of 
civilization are due to Great Britain, the "ally of the first 
hour," who though possessing no adequate army, did not 
hesitate to assume her full duty and responsibility. From 
the very outset the magnificent navy of Great Britain, 
as fully prepared as the army of France, assumed com- 
plete control of all the waters of the world. Without 
this control of the sea the defeat of the Allies would 
have been swift and certain. Starting with almost noth- 
ing, Great Britain built up an army which became as 
efficient and dangerous as any engaged. In noting the 
proportion of the Western Front held by the British Army 
it is to be remembered that it included a large part of 
the most active and dangerous section of the line. There 
were few "quiet sectors" on the British front, and they 
never remained "quiet" for long. The British Army met 
and sustained some of the most savage attacks of the 
enemy, and launched the most savage attacks made upon 
him. 



136 America in the World War 

If, in our effort to interest and perhaps to gratify the 
national pride of our American readers, we have referred 
in almost boastful terms to the prodigious accomplish- 
ments of our country in the war, we now offer an apology 
as we contemplate these tables and diagrams. They show 
more plainly than volumes of evidence to whom we are 
chiefly indebted for the victory of civilization. After 
having borne during more than four years of constant 
warfare, the brunt of the onslaught of the most powerful 
military machine in the world, gallant France was still 
holding the enemy at bay, yes and driving him back, on 
more than half the entire western battlefront. With a 
population which prior to the war was less than one- 
fourth of the combined population of her principal allies, 
France still maintained an army considerably stronger 
than either Great Britain or America. After having her 
richest provinces overrun and ravished, her people starved 
and murdered, after suffering battle casualties greatly in 
excess of Great Britain and America combined, after 
expending over two-iifths of her entire national wealth 
(slender in comparison with our own) our brave and 
steadfast Ally, who has tasted defeat, but never known 
despair or dishonor, still maintained more than half the 
artillery and aeroplanes opposed to Germany on the West- 
ern Front. 

And as we look back into the past we remember that 
in the beginning France alone of all the nations that were 
later allied against Germany, was fully prepared to meet 
the onslaught and hold the brutal enemy of civilization 



Statistical Discussion 137 

In addition to their own prodigious efforts our Allies 
made possible that of America. The rapid development 
of our industries was due in very large measure to the 
stimulus resulting from their having furnished munitions 
to France and Great Britain prior to our entry into the 
conflict. Half of our troops were transported overseas 
in British ships, and except for the control of the seas 
by the British Navy American participation in the war 
would have been impossible. Of the equipment used by 
the American Army in battle, France furnished nearly 
all the light artillery and its ammunition, tanks, four- 
fifths of the aeroplanes, and vast quantities of other 
equipment and supplies. Without French and British 
help the American Army would have been so long delayed 
in its entry into battle that the war would have been 
decided against us before we had taken an effective part. 

Nor do we wish to omit mention of the gallant conduct 
of our lesser allies. Their efforts were in proportion, or 
in many cases out of all proportion to their strength and 
resources. We are presenting a statistical picture, and 
naturally the great nations, France, Great Britain and 
America, loom largest in that picture. 



138 America in the World War 

SUMMARIZED STATISTICS OF THE 

AMERICAN EFFORT IN 

THE WORLD WAR 

Creating an Army 

Date of declaration of war April 6, 1917 

Date of passage of selective service act May 18, 1917 

Number of men registered 1st day (June 5, 1917) 10,000,000 

Age limits of selective service according to the act 18 to 45 

Total number registered for service under the act. . . . 24,235,000 
Total male population of United States at outbreak of 

war 54,000,000 

Total number in service or registered, 48 per cent 26,000,000 

Number in service, armed forces , 4,800,000 

Number in service, army only 4,000,000 

Maximum number drafted in one month (July, 1918). 401,000 

Number of local examining boards 4,648 

Number of district examining boards 156 

Average number of men examined and classified by 

local boards (first draft) 2,500 

Maximum number of men examined and classified by a 

local board 10,000 

Average cost of selecting a man for service $8.00 

Percent of all men examined who were found physically 

fit for combatant service 68 

Largest family in the war (the Johnsons) 53,200 

Largest number of men in service from one State (N. 

Y.) 367,864 

Average number furnished by each State 70,000 

Strength of regular army, April, 1917 190,000 

Greatest strength by A.E.F. at any time (Nov., 1918). . 1,971,000 
Greatest strength of U. S. Army during war (Dec, 

1918) 3,623,000 

Combatant strength of U. S. Army (Nov. 11, 1918) . . 2,330,000 

Approximate percentage of combatant troops 64 

Total strength of infantry and machine guns 975,000 

Total strength of artillery and trains : . . 390,000 

Total strength of Engineers 395,000 

Total strength of air service 200,000 

Total strength of Medical service 300,000 

Total troops in service of supply, A.E.F. (Nov. 11, 1918) 386,000 

Number of ofiicers in army during war 200,000 

Number of men in Federal Forces, Civil War 2,400,000 



Statistical Discussion 139 



Number of men in American Forces, Revolutionary- 
War 310,000 

Percent of U. S. Army from regulars, World War. ... 13 

Percent of U. S. Army from national guard 10 

Percent of U. S. Army from national army (selective 

service) 77 

Number of officers' training camps in United States ... 16 

Officers commissioned from all training camps 96,000 

Number of divisional training camps and cantonments 

in United States 32 

Aggregate capacity of divisional training camps 1,800,000 

Capacity of special training camps 300,000 

Average period of training of soldiers in United States, 

months 6 

Average period of training in France before entering 

line, months 2 

Strengthof an American division, officers 1,000 

men 27,000 

Road space of a division on the march, miles 30 

Sending Two Million Men Overseas 

Number of divisions sent to France 42 

Total number of troops sent to France 2,084,000 

Maximum number transported overseas in one month 

(July, 1918). 306,000 

Average monthly rate of shipment of troops to France, 

March to October, 1918 217,000 

Maximum number transported home in one month 

(June, 1919) 364,000 

Number of American troops carried to France in Amer- 
ican vessels 927,000 

Number of American troops carried to France in Brit- 
ish vessels 1,027,000 

Percent of total (America) 45 

(British) 49 

Average time of round trip from America, troop-ship, 

days 35 

Average time of round trip from America, cargo-ship, 

days 70 

Best timefor round trip {Great Northern) days 19 

Number of troops landed in France each month by 

Leviathan 12,000 

Number of animals shipped to France for A. E. F 54,000 

Total number of animals purchased for United States 

Army 480,000 



140 America in the World War 



Transporting Supplies 

Total cargo tonnage shipped to France for A. E. F. (to 

include April, 1919) net tons 7,452,000 

Maximum shipped in one month (Nov. 1918) net tons. 824,000 

Average number of men in A.E.F., June, 1917 to April, 

1919 823,000 

Average number of pounds per man per day of supplies 

and equipment shipped to France during this period 26 

Maximum monthly rate of shipment of supplies and 

equipment to France attained at time of armistice, 

tons 1,000,000 

Number of pounds per man per day represented by 

above figure 34 

Total maximum dead-weight capacity of transport 

fleet (U.S.) on January 1, 1919, gross tons 3,248,000 



Shipping and Submarines 

Total gross tonnage of world's merchant ships, July, 

1914, (excluding Central Powers) 42,500,000 

Same, January, 1919 38,000,000 

Same, April, 1919 42,600,000 

Total gross tonnage destroyed by submarines 13,000,000 

Losses from submarine operations (estimated) $8,000,000,000 

Total gross tonnage lost from other causes during war 2,000,000 

Greatest loss by any nation (Great Britain), gross tons. 7,500,000 

Total gross tonnage constructed during the war 10,700,000 

Total gross tonnage constructed by United States, 

1917-1918 3,400,000 

Total gross tonnage of all American shipping, April, 

1919 11,800,000 

Number of submarines constructed by Germany 372 

Average displacement of submarines, tons 800 

Rate of construction per week, third year of war 2 

Number of German submarines destroyed by Allies . . 203 
Average ship tonnage (gross) destroyed by each sub- 
marine 35.000 

Number of submarines in commission, Nov., 1918 170 



Statistical Discussion 141 



Army Construction 



Total expenditure for war construction in United 

States $818,000,000 

Cost of Panama Canal 400,000,000 

Largest single project 70,000,000 

Total cost of national army cantonments 200,000,000 

Average cost of housing one man 250 

Average time required to construct a cantonment, days 100 

Greatest number of men employed at one time (in U. S.) 230,000 

Amount of lumber consumed, ft. B. M . . ._ 2,670,000,000 

Total housing capacity of all camps in United States. 2,100,000 

Total hospitalization capacity in U. S., beds 123,000 

Average number of buildings in a divisional canton- 
ment •.•••.•• I'lOO 

Covered storage area in U. S. at bases and interior 

depots, sq. ft . 33,000,000 

Expenditures for materials of construction and equip- 
ment in France. ^ 450,000,000 

Greatest number of men employed at one time 160,000 

Number of barracks constructed in France 17,120 

Capacity at one hundred men each 1,712,000 

Total hospitalization capacity overseas, beds 287,300 

Capacity of largest single camp (Pontanezen) 80,000 

Covered storage area provided in France, sq, ft 23,000,000 

Area of largest depot (Gievres) sq. mi 12 

Maximum number of men fed at one kitchen in one 

hour 7,000 

Shelters for animals constructed in France 67,300 

Number of miles of standard gauge railway constructed 

in France 1,000 

Daily capacity of all army bakeries in France, lbs 1,900,000 

Number of miles of roads built or rebuilt in Europe . . 10,000 

Number of miles of telegraph and telephone wire strung 100,000 

Number of berths for vessels provided 80 

Production of sawed lumber by U. S. Engineers in 

France ft. B. M 218,000,000 

Production of railroad ties by U. S, Engineers in 

France 4,000,000 



142 America in the World War 



Artillery and Artillery Ammunition 

Number of finished cannon manufactured in U. S., 1918 4,039 

Maximum number constructed in one month (October) 769 

Number of complete artillery units manufactured in 

in U. S. for American Army only, to May 1, 1919 ... 3,077 

Number of guns in a division (3" and 6") 72 

Number of American made guns used in battle by A. E. 

F 196 

Number of guns used in Meuse-Argonne by A. E. F 2,417 

Number of Allied guns on Western Front, November, 

1918 21,700 

Number of men employed in United States in manufac- . 

ture of ordnance 42,000 

Maximum range of artillery, 1815, miles 1 . 35 

Maximum range of artillery, 1918, miles 75 

Maximum calibre of American artillery, ins 16 

Maximum weight of projectile, lbs 2,400 

Average daily rate of fire, all guns in World War 35 

Number of rounds of artillery ammunition produced in 

the United States, January, 1918 376,000 

Number of rounds of artillery ammunition produced in 

the United States, October, 1918 3,072,000 

Total number of rounds of artillery ammunition pro- 
duced in the United States during the war 20,326,000 

Total production of smokeless powder in U. S., Jan., 

1918,to April, 1919, lbs 632,000,000 

Total production of high explosive in U. S., Jan., 1918, 

to April, 1919, lbs 376,000,000 

Total production of poison gas in U. S. to Dec, 1918, 

lbs 21,624,000 

Rate of production per month, Oct., 1918, lbs 5,452,000 

Number of rounds of artillery' ammunition fired in 

preliminary bombardment (4 hours) St. Mihiel . . 1,000,000 

Number of rounds of artillery ammunition fired by 

A. E, F. in Meuse-Argonne offensive 4,214,000 

Number of rounds of artillery ammunition fired by 

Federal Army at Gettysburg (three days) 33,000 

Total rounds of artillery ammunition fired by Federal 

Army in Civil War 5,000,000 

Number of rounds of artillery ammunition fired by 

French and British Armies, last year of World War. 153,000,000 



Statistical Discussion 143 



Rifles, Machine Guns and Ammunition 

Number of rifles supplied to U. S. Army to April, 1919 . 3,575,000 
Number of rifles manufactured in U. S. during war. . . 2,506,000 
Daily rate of production of rifles, February, 1918. . . . 9,247 
Number of machine guns manufactured in U. S., Jan- 
uary, 1918 5,000 

Number of machine guns manufactured in U. S., Au- . 

gust, 1918 35,000 

Number of machine guns manufactured in U. S. during 

war 227,000 

Number of machine guns employed in battle by 

A. E. F. 12,000 

Total American production of small arms ammunition, 

rounds 3,500,000,000 

Total rounds of small arms ammunition shipped to 

France for A. E. F 1,800,000,000 



Aviation 

Number of service aeroplanes produced in U. S. during 

war 4,000 

Maximum number produced in one month 1,122 

Yearly rate of production attained at date of armistice . 20,000 

Number of service aeroplane engines produced in U. S. 

during war 16,000 

Maximum number produced in one month 4,145 

Number of observation balloons produced in U. S. dur- 
ing war 676 

Number of American made planes sent to front for 

A. E. F 667 

Number of American made planes in action in A. E. F., 

November, 1918 196 

Total number of aeroplanes in action in A. E. F., 

November, 1918 740 

Number of battle aeroplanes in Allied Armies on West- 
ern Front, November, 1918 5,800 

Number of battle aeroplanes in German Army on West- 
ern Front, November, 1918 2,730 

Number of enemy aeroplanes and balloons brought 

down by American aviators on Western Front 826 



144 America in the World War 



Number of American aeroplanes and balloons brought 

down by enemy aviators on Western Front 400 

Appropriation for aviation program $640,000,000 



Food, Clothing and Miscellaneous 
Equipment 

Total cost of food consumed by U. S. Armv during the 

war '. $727,000,000 

Average cost per man per year $165 

Average daily consumption, November, 1918, lbs 9,000,000 

Average daily cost '. $2,500,000 

Cost of textile and leather goods for U. S. Army $2,100,000,000 

Amount of wool purchased for army uee, lbs 722,000,000 

Shoes consumed by TT. S. Army in one year of war, prs . 31,000,00 

Socks consumed by U. S. Army in one year of war, prs. 132,000,000 

Number of steel helmets furnished to army 2,728,000 

Number of gas masks furnished to army 5,400,000 

Number of gallons of gasoline shipped to France for 

A. E. F •.••••.••; 38,000,000 

Percentage of gasoline used in aviation 25 

Number of locomotives shipped to France 1,700 

Number of freight cars shipped to France 27,000 



The American Army in Battle 

First American division to reach France (1st Div.). • . June, 1917 

Number of American divisions which went to France. 42 

Number of American divisions engaged in combat .... 29 
Date when first American division (1st Div.) entered 

the line in a quiet sector Oct. 21, 1917 

Date when first American division (1st Div.) entered 

the line in an active sector Apr. 25, 1918 

First important engagement in which American troops 

took part — 1st Division at Cantigny. May 28, 1918 

Number of major operations in which the A. E. F. par- 
ticipated 13 

Number of great battles fought by American 1st Army 2 

Number of days American troops were in battle 200 

Total number of days in line by all American divisions . 2,234 



Statistical Discussion 145 



Greatest number of days in line by any division (1st 

Div.) 220 

Total number of days in line in active sectors,all Ameri- 
can divisions 905 

Greatest number of days in line in active sector by any 

division (1st Div.) •. . . 93 

Average number of days each of 29 combat divisions 

was in line 77 

Number of combatant troops in battle of St, Mihiel 

(American) 550,000 

Number of combatant troops in battle of Meuse- 

Argonne (American) 850,000 

Greatest length of western battlefront held by Ameri- 
cans (Oct. 1918) miles 101 

Total length of western battle front on this date, miles . 445 

Percent held by Americans 23 

Maximum length of battle line on Western Front, 1918 

(June), miles 534 

Minimum length of battle line on Western Front, 1918 

(Nov.) miles 401 

Total strength of Allied forces on Western Front, 

Nov. 11, 1918 6,427,000 

Total strength of German forces on Western Front, 

Nov. 11, 1918 3,562,000 

Total advance against hostile resistance by all Ameri- 
can divisions, kilometers 782 

miles 485 

Average advance against hostile resistance by Ameri- 
can divisions, miles 17 

Greatest advance against hostile resistance by any divi- 
sion (77th Div.), miles 45 

Total number of prisoners captured by American 

Army 63,000 

Greatest number of prisoners captured by any division 

(2nd Div.) 12,026 

Number of Americans taken prisoner by enemy . , 4,480 

Artillery and trench mortars captured by American 

Army 2,086 

Machine guns captured by American Army . 9,650 



146 America in the World War 

Battle Statistics of Meuse-Argonne Of- 
fensive — America's Greatest Battle 

Duration of battle (Sept. 26 to Nov. 11, 1918) days 47 

Number of American divisions engaged 22 

Total number of American combatant troops engaged 850,000 
Number of enemy divisions thrown in to oppose Amer- 

cans 47 

Number of Americans guns in action 2,417 

Number of rounds of artillery ammunition expended 

by American Army 4,214,000 

Number of aeroplanes employed by Americans 840 

Number of tanks employed by Americans 324 

Deepest penetration into hostile lines, miles 34 

Area of territory liberated, square kilometers 1,550 

Villages and towns liberated 150 

Number of German prisoners captured 16,059 

Number of German guns captured 468 

Number of German machine guns captured 2,864 

Number of trench mortars captured 177 

Total American battle casualties (killed, wounded, 

prisoners and missing) 120,000 

Percent of casualties in forty-seven days of battle. ... 10 



Health and Casualties 

Total lives lost, all causes, during the war. Army and 

Navy 125,500 

Total lives lost in Army (including Marines) 115,660 

Percentage of army deaths which occurred in United 

States 31 

Percent of army deaths which occurred in A. E. F 69 

Percent of total army deaths due to battle 43 

Percent of total army deaths due to disease 50 

Percent of total army deaths due to other causes 

(accident) 7 

Principal cause of death by disease, pneumonia, percent 

of total 83.6 

Total American battle deaths during war 50,000 

Total ''Killed in action" 35,000 

Total American wounded during war 215,000 



Statistical Discussion 147 



Percent of total strength of A. E. F. killed or died of 

wounds 2 

Maximum number of battle deaths in A. E. F. in a 

single week (October, 1918) 6,589 

Average battle deaths suffered by each of 29 combat 

divisions 1,628 

Average percent of battle casualties among all troops 
of A. E. F. engaged in forty-seven days of Meuse - 

Argonne battle 10 

Average battle casualties suffered by each of 29 com- 
bat divisions 8,457 

Average percent of total strength of combat divisions 

lost in battle 30 

Maximum battle casualties suffered by any division 

(2nd Div.) 22,230 

Percent of total strength lost in battle by this division . 80 

Days this division was in line 137 

Greatest number of beds occupied in hospitals of A. E. 

F. at any tune (Oct. 7 to 14, 1918) 190,000 

Percent of wounded received in hospitals who ulti- 
mately returned to duty 85 

Battle deaths per 1,000 men in infantry 51.7 

Battle deaths per 1,000 officers in infantry 80.5 

Battle deaths per 1,000 officers, air service S3 

Battle deaths per 1,000 officers, engineers 11.3 

Death rate from disease per 1,000 men per year in 

A. E. F., World War 19 

Death rate from disease per 1,000 men per year in 

U. S. Army, Civil War 65 

Death rate from disease per 1,000 men per year in 

U. S. Army, Mexican War 110 

Number of medical officers in U. S. Army during the 

war 33,000 

Total strength of medical department at close of war . . . 300,000 

Percent of total strength of army 8 

Aggregate battle deaths in all armies during the 

World War 7,500,000 

Battle deaths, Russia 1,700,000 

Germany 1,600,000 

France 1,385,000 

Great Britain 900.000 

Austria 800,000 

Italy 364,000 

Deaths of civilians caused by the war (estimated) 9,000,000 

American soldiers buried in Europe 80,322 



148 America in the World War 



Cost of the War 

Total disbursements of U. S. Treasury during the war $23,000,000,000 

Loans to Allied nations 10,000,000,000 

Grand total expenditures of United States 33,000,000,000 

Average rate of expenditure per hour 2,000,000 

Average rate of expenditure per month 1,375,000,000 

Total expenditure for U. S. Army 15,000,000,000 

Percentage of army expenditures by Quartermaster 

Department 44 

Percentage of army expenditures by Ordnance De- 
partment 29 

Total expenditures of U. S. Government up to time of 

World War $27,000,000,000 

Expenditures for Army and Navy, Revolutionary War . 1 50,000,000 
Expenditures for Army and Navy by Federal Govern- 
ment in Civil War 3,000,000,000 

Total applications for government War Risk Insur- 
ance 40,000,000,000 

Total claims paid . 1,000,000,000 

Total insurance in force nineteen largest commercial 

life insurance companies $19,000,000,000 

Total war expenses of Germany, billions of dollars 39 

Total war expenses of France 26 

Total war expenses of Great Britain. 38 

Total war expenses of Allied powers 124 

Total war expenses of Central Powers 63 

Grand total direct cost of war 187 

Estimated indirect cost of war 152 

Estimated pre-war wealth of United States 230 

Estimated pre-war wealth of Great Britain 85 

Aggregate pre-war wealth of Great Britain, France, 

Germany and Italy 255 



Chronology of the World 

War 

1914 

June 

28. Assassination at Serajevo, Serbia, of Archduke 
Francis Ferdinand, heir to Austrian throne. 

July 

23. Austria dehvers ultimatum to Serbia, demanding 

answer in 48 hours. 

24. Serbia appeals to Russia against harsh terms of 

Austrian ultimatum. 

25. Russia requests extension of time limit, which is 

refused by Austria. Serbia makes conciliatory 
reply to Austria, mobilizes her army, and 
moves her capital from Belgrade to Nish. 
Russia orders mobilization of 13 corps on 
Austrian frontier. 

26. Austria mobilizes 8 corps on Russian frontier. 

Montenegro mobilizes. 

28. Austria declares war on Serbia, but is conciliator^^ 

towards Russia. 

29. Germany notifies Russia that partial mobilization 

means war between the two countries. 
Russia orders general mobilization. 
Great Britain notifies Germany that she "cannot 

stand aside in the circumstances." 



150 America in the World War 

Germany agrees to annex no French territory if 

England remains neutral. 
Austria bombards Belgrade and attempts passage 

of Danube. 
Germany starts preparations and German patrols 

cross French frontier. 

30. Russia proposes to Germany to stop mobilization 

if Austria will modify ultimatum to Serbia. 
German mobilization announced. 

31. Austria making no concessions, Russia confirms 

order for general mobilization. 

Austria orders general mobilization. 

Germany demands that Russia cease mobilization, 
and demands of France her intentions in case 
of war between Germany and Russia. France 
replies that she will act according to her in- 
terests. 

England asks Germany and France if they will 
respect Belgium's neutrality. France replies in 
affirmative, Germany refuses reply. 

Belgium orders mobilization. 

August 

1. France orders mobilization. 
Germany declares war on Russia. 

Italy declares neutrality as war is aggressive. 

2. German troops enter Luxembourg, Poland and 

France. 
Germany demands passage for her troops across 
Belgium. 



Chronology of the World War 151 

3. Belgium refuses German demand. 
Gennany declares war on France. 
Great Britain orders mobilization. 

4. Germany declares war on Belgium. 
Great Britain declares war on Germany. 

5. Austria declares war on Russia. 

7. Germany enters Liege, Belgium. France invades 
Alsace. British troops land in France. 
Russian army crosses Polish frontier. 
10. Austrians enter Poland. France declares war on 

Austria. 
12. Great Britain declares war on Austria. 
13-25. First Austrian invasion of Serbia. Ends in de- 
feat and withdrawal of Austrians. 
15. Germany reduces forts at Liege. Japan delivers 
ultimatum to Germany, demanding evacuation 
of Tsing-tau. 

18. Russians invade Galicia. 

20. Germans occupy Brussels, continue advance on 

Paris. 

21. Battle of Charleroi. Germans invade British 

South Africa. 

23. Fall of Namur. Battle of Mons. Japan declares 
war on Germany, Blockades Tsing-tau. 

26-29. Germans defeat Russians at Tannenberg. Fall 
of Louvain. French retreat from Alsace and 
line of Sambre and Meuse. 
27. Fall of Namur. Germans occupy Lille and 
Mezieres. 



152 America in the World War 

28. Naval battle of Heligoland Bight. British sink 

three German cruisers. 

September 

1-3. Russians defeat Austrians inflicting heavy losses, 
and occupy Lemberg, Galicia. Germany ar- 
rives at the Mame and begins passage. 
5. France, Russia and Great Britain agree to make 
no separate peace. 
6-10. First battle of the Marne, greatest conflict in 
history. Germans retreat in center and west 
front becomes stabilized. 
7-15. Second Austrian invasion of Serbia. Ends in de- 
feat and withdrawal of Austrians. 
14-28. Battle of the Aisne. Bombardment of Rheims 
Cathedral. 

October 

4. Germans advance in Poland and on Belgian 

coast. 
9. Fall of Antwerp. Belgian seat of government in 

Ostend, 
11. Opening of battle of Flanders, which lasts for 
six weeks, including battles of Yser and Ypres. 
15-17. Battle of Warsaw, defeat of Austro-Germans. 
Russia resumes advance on German frontier. 

29. Turkey enters the war. 

November 

1. German naval victory off coast of Chili. Two 
British battle cruisers sunk. 



Chronology of the World War 153 

2. Russian forces re-enter East Prussia (2nd in- 

vasion ) . 

3. Opening of Russian campaign in Asia. 

5. Great Britain declares war on Turkey. 

6. Russians re-take line of San River, Austrians re- 

treat on Cracow. 

7. Fall of Tsing-tau. British land troops in Meso- 

potamia, 

8. Third Austrian invasion of Serbia, in great force. 

Ends in defeat and withdrawal of Austrians. 

9. Famous German sea-raider Em den destroyed at 

Cocos Island by Australian cruiser Sydney. 
12. Turkey declares war on all Entente Allies. 

14. Germans recommence invasion of Poland from 

Thorn. 

17. End of battle of Flanders. Allies save channel 

ports. Entire Western Front stabilized. 
22. Russian successes against Austria in Galicia. 

December 

2. Austrians occupy Belgrade. 

7. Opening of Second Battle of Warsaw. 

8. British naval victory off Falkland Islands. 

15. Austrians after severe defeat by Serbians, evacu- 

ate Belgrade and withdraw across Save River. 
End of third invasion. 

16. German warships bombard British coast (Scarbo- 

rough and Hartlepool). 
24. First Zeppelin raid on England. 



154 America in the World War 



25-26. Austro-(jermans al)andon attempts to capture 
Warsaw and begin retreat from Poland. 

29-31. Austrians retreat from Galicia after severe re- 
verses. 



1915 

January 

24. British naval victory of Dogger Bank, North Sea. 
28. American ship Win. P. Frye sunk by German 
warships. 
February 

3. Turks attempt to cross Suez Canal and are de- 

feated. 

4. Germany proclaims "war zone" in waters around 

British Isles, 
11. U. S. note to Germany states she will be held to 

"strict accountability" for the destruction of 

American vessels or lives in the submarine 

campaign. 
14. East Prussia cleared of Russians. 

18. German submarine blockade and campaign of 

piracy goes into effect. 

19. French and British commence bombardment of 

forts at entrance to Dardanelles. 
March 

2, Anglo-French note to Germany announces policy 
of reprisal in retaliation for blockade. 
22. Russians take fortress of Przemysl from Aus- 
trians, including 126,000 men and 700 guns. 



Chronology of the World War 155 

April 

10. The Belgian relief ship Harpalyce, under the 
American flag, is torpedoed. 

22. Opening of second battle of Ypres. Poison 

gas first employed by Germans. 
25. Anglo-French forces land on shores of Darda- 
nelles. 

27. Germans commence invasion of Russian Baltic 

provinces. 

28. Powerful Austro-German offensive against Rus- 

sians opens in Galicia, between Dunajec and 
Bialo Rivers. 

71/(7}' 

1. Americans warned by Germany not to sail on 

Lusitania. 
7. Lusitania torpedoed off coast of Ireland, 1,200 
lives lost including 1 24 Americans. 

23. Italy declares war on Austria, and invades Tren- 

tino and Isonzo regions. 
June 

3. Austro- Germans re-take Przemysl. 
22. Austro- Germans re-take Lemberg. 

July 

2. Opening of battle for Carso plateau between 

Italians and Austrians develops into successful 
offensive by Italians. 
9. German troops in S. W. Africa surrender to Gen. 
Botha, closing African campaign. 



156 America in the World War 

14. Great Austro- German offensive from Baltic to 

Bukowina is launched. 
30. Russians fall back on entire Eastern Front, evac- 
uate Warsaw. Germans transfer troops from 
Eastern to Western Front. 
A 11 gust 

5. Germans capture Ivangorod and enter Warsaw. 

19. Fall of Novo Georgievsk. 

10-21. Naval battles in Baltic and Gulf of Riga. Ger- 
mans repulsed. 

20. Italy declares war on Turkey. 

25. Germans take Brest-Litovsk from Russians. 

September 

1. Von BernstorlT, German ambassador to U. S. 
states that no more passenger liners will be 
sunk without warning. 

9. U. S. demands recall of Dr. Dumba. Austrian 

ambassador. 
18. Fall of Vilna. Russians retreat towards Minsk. 

21. Bulgaria mobilizes her army. 

23. Greece mobilizes her army. 

25. French and British launch great offensive in 
Champagne. 

28. British victory at Kut-el-Amara, Mesopotamia. 

Turks retreat towards Bagdad. 

29. Capture of Vimy Ridge near Arras, by Canadians. 



Chronology of the World War 157 

October 

1. Austro- Germans start great drive through Serbia, 

assisted by Bulgarian troops. 
5. Allies begin concentration of forces at Salonika, 

Greece. 
S. Capture of Belgrade. 

12. Execution of Edith Cavell by Germans. 
14-16. Bulgaria declares war on Serbia. France and 

Great Britain declare war on Bulgaria. 
November 

5. Fall of Nish, Serbia, opening of rail connections 
from Berlin to Bagdad. 
21. Serbians driven out of Serbia. 

December 

5. Turks besiege British in Kut-el-Amara. 

8. Allies begin evacuation of Gallipoli peninsula. 

9. Allied Macedonian Army defeated at Vardan, 

forced back on Salonika. 
20. Evacuation of Gallipoli completed. 
27. Russians launch offensive in Bukowina. 

1916 
January 

13. Fall of Cettinje, capital of Montenegro. 

February 

10. Germany notifies neutral powers that armed mer- 
chant ships will be treated as warships and 
will be sunk without warning. 



158 America in the World War 

14. British steamer Appam brought to Norfolk by 

German prize crew. 

15. Secretary Lansing states that by international law 

commercial vessels have right to carry arms in 
self-defense. 

16. Germany sends note acknowledging her liability 

in the Lusitania aifair. Russians take Erze- 
rum, in Turkish Armenia. 

21-July — Battle of Verdun — third epochal battle of 
war. Germans capture Fort Douaumont, 
February 25. 

24. President Wilson in letter to Senator Stone re- 
fuses to advise American citizens not to travel 
on amied merchant ships. 
March 

10. Germany declares war on Portugal. 
24. French steamer Sussex is torpedoed without 
warning ; 80 killed including Americans. 

April 

17. Russians capture Trebizond, in Turkey. 

18. United States note declaring that she will sever 

diplomatic relations unless Germany abandons 
present methods of submarine warfare. 



May 



1. Insurrection in Ireland. 

4. Germany's conditional pledge not to sink mer- 
chant ships without warning. 
24. Conscription bill becomes a law in Great Britain. 
President Wilson first announces desire of United 



Chronology of the World War 159 

States to join league to preserve peace and 
territorial integrity of Nations. 

29. General Townshend surrenders with 9.000 Brit- 
ish at Kut-el-Amara. 

31. Great naval battle off Jutland, North Sea. 

June 

3. Great Austrian attack on the Italians through the 
Trentino. 
4-30. Russian offensive in Galicia and Bukowina. 
5. Lord Kitchener drowned. 
21. United States demands reparation from Austria 
for sinking the Petrolite. 

July 

1-November 17. Battle of the Somme. 
9. German commercial submarine reaches Balti- 
more. 
27. Gennans execute Captain Fryatt, an Englishman, 
for having defended his merchant ship by 
ramming the German submarine that was 
about to attack it. 

August 

9. Italians capture Gorizia. 

27. Italy declares war on Germany. 

27-January 15. Rumania enters war on the side of 
the Allies, and most of the country is over- 
run — Fall of Bucharest, December 6. 

29. Hindenburg takes supreme command of German 
armies. 



160 America in the World War 

September 

— Italians defeat Austrians on the Carso. 

October 

8. German submarine appears off American coast 
and sinks British passenger steamer Stephana. 
24. Fort Douaumont recaptured by the French. 

28. British steamer Marina sunk without warning — 

6 Americans lost. 

N ov ember 

6. British steamer Arabia sunk in Mediterranean 

without warning. 
18. Monastir retaken by Allies (chiefly Serbians). 
21. British hospital ship Bnttanic sunk in Aegean 

Sea. 

29. United States protests Belgian deportations. 

December 

7. Lloyd George succeeds Asquith as British prime 

minister. 
12. German peace offer. Refused (Dec. 30) as 

"empty and insincere." 
14. British horse transport sunk — 17 Americans lost. 
18. President Wilson's peace note. Germany replies 

evasively (Dec 26). Entente Allies' reply 

(Jan. 11) demands "restorations, reparations, 

indemnities." 



Chronology of the World War 161 

1917 
January 

22. "Peace without Victory" suggested by President 
Wilson. 

31. Germany announces unrestricted submarine war- 
fare in specified zones, beginning February 1. 

February 

3. United States severs diplomatic relations with 

Germany and hands German Ambassador his 
passports. 

24. Kut-el-Amara re-taken by British under General 

Maude. 

25. Hindenburg's strategic retreat begins on West 

Front. 

26. President Wilson asks authority to arm merchant 

ships. 
28. Zimmerman Note published. 

March 

4. British take over Somme front from French — 

they hold IQO miles, French 175, Belgians 25 
miles. 

11. Bagdad captured by British under General 
Maude. 

11-15. Revolution in Russia, leading to abdication of 
Czar Nicholas, II, (Mar. 15). Provisional 
Government formed by Constitutional Demo- 
crats under Prince Lyoff. 



162 America in the World War 

12. United States announces that an armed guard 
will be placed on all American merchant ves- 
sels sailing through the war zone. 
17-19. Retirement of Germans to the Hindenburg Line, 
abandoning 1,300 square miles of territory on 
a 100-mile front from Arras to Soissons. 
18. Three i\merican Vessels — City of Memphis, 
Vigilancia and Illinois sunk by submarine. 

21. U. S. merchant ship Healdton sunk without 

warning — 21 lost. 

22. Provisional Government in Russia recognized, 
24. Minister Brand Whitlock and American Relief 

Commission withdrawn from Belgium. 

April 

1. U. S. ship Aztec sunk by submarine. 

2. President Wilson asks Congress to declare the 

existence of a state of war with Germany. 
6. 2^he United States declares war on Germany. 
8. Austria Hungary severs diplomatic relations with 

the United States. 
9-May 14. British success in Battle of Arras (Vimy 

Ridge taken April 9 ) . 
16-May 6. French successes in Battle of the Aisne 

between Soissons and Rheims. 
21. Turkey severs relations with United States. 

May 

4. American destroyers begin cooperation with 
British navy in war zone. 



Chronology of the World War 163 

1 5-September. Great Italian offensive on Isonzo 
front. 
General Petain succeeds General Nivelle as com- 
mander-in-chief of the French Armies. 

18. President Wilson signs selective service act. 

28. General Pershing and staff sail for France. 

June 

7. British blow up Messines Ridge, south of Ypres 

and capture 7,500 Germans. 
10. Italian offensive in Trentino. 
12. King Constantine of Greece forced to abdicate. 
15. First Liberty Loan oversubscribed— amount 

taken— $3,035,226,800. 
26. First American troops reach France. 

29. Greece enters war against Germany and her allies. 

Allenby takes command in Palestine. 

July 

1. Russian army, led in person by Kerensky, the 

minister of war, begins an offensive in Galicia, 

ending in disastrous retreat, July 19-August 3. 

20. Kerensky succeeds Prince Lvoff as premier of 

Russia. 
3l-November 6. Battle of Flanders ( Passchendaele 
Ridge) ; British successes. 

August 

3. Austrians capture Czernowitz. 

8. Canada passes conscription act. 



164 America in the World War 

15. Germans destroy St. Quentin Cathedral. 

Canadians capture Hill 70, dominating Lens. 
19-24, New Italian drive on the Isonzo front ;Monte 

Santo captured. 
20-24. French attacks at Verdun recapture high ground 
lost in 1916. 

September 

4. Riga captured by Germans. 

5. Selective service men begin arriving at canton- 

ments to form National Army. 
15. Russia proclaimed a republic. 
29. Turkish army in Mesopotamia captured by 

British. 

October 

17. Russians defeated in naval engagement in the 
gulf of Riga. 
24-Dec. Great German-Austrian invasion of Italy. Line 
falls back to the Piave. 

26. Brazil declares war on Germany. 

27. Second Liberty Loan oversubscribed by $1,617,- 

532,300. 

November 

2. Germans retreat from the Chemin-des-Dames, in 

France. 

3. First clash of Americans with German soldiers. 

4. British troops reach Italy. 

7. Overthrow of Kerensky and provisional Govern- 
ment of Russia by Bolsheviki. 



Chronology of the World War 165 

20-December 13. Battle of Cambrai — Tanks first 
used by British. 

29. First plenary session of the Interallied Con- 
ference in Paris. Sixteen nations represented. 
Colonel E. M. House, chairman of American 
delegation. 

December 

3. Conquest of German East Africa completed. 

6. United States destroyer Jacob Jones sunk by 

submarine, with loss of 60 Americans. 
Halifax, Nova Scotia wrecked by explosion of 
munitions vessel Mont Blanc in collision 
with the Into — 1,500 people killed. 

7. United States declares war on Austria Hungary. 
9. Jerusalem captured by British under General 

Allenby after being in hands of Turks for 673 
years. 

17. German raid in North Sea destroys convoy of 6 

merchantmen, 1 destroyer and 4 armed 
trawlers. 

18. Sixteen German gothas raid London — 10 killed, 

70 wounded. 

22. Peace negotiations opened at Brest-Litovsk be- 
tween Bolshevik government and Central 
Powers. 

28. President Wilson takes over the control of 
railroads. 



166 America in the World War 

Three British torpedo boats sunk off coast of 
Holland— 193 lost. 

30. British transport torpedoed in eastern Mediter- 

ranean — 800 lost. 

1918 
January 

8. President Wilson sets forth peace program of the 

United States. 

12. U. S. steamship Nyanza sinks German subma- 
rine. 

19. U. S. troops take over sector northwest of Toul. 
The Bolsheviki dissolve the Russian Assembly. 

28. Revolution begins in Finland; fighting between 
''White Guards" and "Red Guards." 

31. U. S. troops for first time occupy fi.rst line — 2 

killed, 4 wounded. 

February 

1. General Peyton C. iMarch appointed Chief of 
staff, U. S. Army. 

Germany and Austria Hungary recognize the 
Ukrainian Republic. 

3. American troops officially announced to be on the 
Lorraine front near Toul. 

5. British transport Tuscania with 2,179 Ameri- 
can troops on board torpedoed and sunk — 
211 American soldiers lost. 

9. Ukrainia makes peace with Central Powers. 



Chronology of the World War 167 

10. The Bolsheviki order demobilization of the Rus- 
sian army. Formal announcement that Rus- 
sia is no longer a participant in the war. 

14. Bolo Pasha condemned for treason against 
France; executed April 16. 

18-March 3. Russo-German armistice declared at an 
end by Germany; war resumed. Germans 
occupy Dvinsk, Minsk and other cities. 

22. U. S. Troops are on the Aisne facing Chemin des 

Dames. 

23. Turkish troops drive back the Russians in Asia 

Minor (Trebizond taken February 26, Erze- 
rum March 14). 
26. British hospital ship. Glenart Castle torpedoed 
and sunk. 



March 



3. Bolsheviki sign peace treaty with Germany at 
Brest-Litovsk. Ratified by Soviet Congress at 
Moscow, March 15. 

5. Rumania signs peace with Central Powers. 

6. U. S. Troops hold 4^ miles of front line 

trenches. 

7. Finland and Germany sign a treaty of peace. 

10. Announcement that American troops are occupy- 

ing trenches at four different points on French 
soil — Lorraine, Champagne, Alsace and Vos- 
ges. 

11. Great German air raid on Paris by more than 50 

planes — 19 killed. 



168 America in the World War 

13. Germans occupy Odessa on Black Sea. 

14. Americans make first permanent advance at 

Badonvillers, Vosges. 
21-April 1. First German drive of the year on a 
50-mile front between Arras and La Fere. 
Forty German divisions (500,000 men) in the 
drive ; also 1 gun per each 1 2 yards of front. 
Long range gun fires on Paris. 

23. Germans break British line at Monchy, St. Quen- 

tin and La Fere ; pierce second line between 
Fontaine-les-Croiselles and Moeuvres; pierce 
third line between Omnignon stream and the 
Somme River. 
Germans announce end of first stage of the great 
battle with capture of 25,000 prisoners, 400 
guns and 300 machine guns. 

24. Germans drive British, French and American re- 

enforcements across the Somme, capturing 
Peronne, Chauny and Ham, 

25. Germans take Baupaume, Nesle, Guiscard, Bar- 

leaux and Etalon. 

27. Situation for Allies is desperate. General Persh- 

ing offers American troops to Allies for service 
wherever needed. Lloyd George appeals for 
American re-enforcements. 

28. Heavy fighting along 55-mile front from south- 

east of the Somme to northeast of Arras. 
German drive checked. 

29. Marshal Foch chosen Commander-in-Chief of 

Allied Armies in France. 



Chronology of the World War 169 

April 

9. Germany begins second drive. British line 
driven 4^ miles on a 11 -mile front from 
Givenchy to La Bassee. Germans continue 
to gain over a wide front. 
10. British and Portuguese are driven back between 
La Bassee Canal and Armentieres, a depth of 
over two miles. After repeated counter at- 
tacks, the French finally hold Hangard, north- 
west of Rheims. German drive stopped after 
advance of 35 miles. 
12. The blackest day of the war for the Allies. 
Channel ports are seriously threatened. Mar- 
shal Haig issues famous Order of the Day, 
stating that they are fighting with their backs 
to the wall ; all positions must be held at all 
hazards. British are routed at all points of 
the line. British pass conscription act. 

2 1 . Between March 2 1 and date, the long range gun 

"Big Bertha" has killed 118 and wounded 130 
in Paris, including 75 killed and 90 wounded 
on Good Friday in a Paris church. 

22. Baron Richthoven, German aviator (80 victories) 

brought down in British lines. 
22-23. Attack on Zeebrugge by British fleet succeeds 
in blocking entrance by sinking two vessels 
loaded with cement. Cruiser Vindictive runs 
gauntlet of mines, submarines and heavy gun 
fire, lands sailors to distract enemy's attention 
during operation. 



170 America in the World War 

May 

7. Nicaragua declares war on Germany and her 
allies. 
9-10. British naval forces attempt to block Ostend 
harbor. 

14. Caucasus proclaims itself an independent state; 
but the Turks overrun the southern part and 
take Baku September 19. 

19. Major Raoul Luf berry famous American aviator 
killed. 

25-June 14. German submarines appear off Ameri- 
can coast and sink 19 coast-wise vessels, in- 
cluding Porto Rican liner Carolina with loss 
of 16 lives. 

27-June 1. Third great German offensive commences 
and proceeds with violence on 30-mile front 
on the Oise and towards the Marne, reaching 
the Marne River east of Chateau-Thierry. 
American troops and French in Chateau- 
Thierry sector. 

28. First American offensive — captures Cantigny and 
holds it against numerous counter attacks. 
.31. United States transport President Lincoln sunk 
by U-boat while on her way to the United 
States; 23 lives lost. 
Marne crossed by Germans at Chateau-Thierry 
40 miles from Paris. 



Chronology of the World War 171 



June 



U. S. Troops drive Germans from Neuilly with 
bayonet. 

6. West of Chateau-Thierry, U. S. troops drive 

Germans a mile on a two-mile front, taking 
370 prisoners. Marines drive enemy 2^2 
miles and capture Tourcy and Bouresches. 

7. Americans advance 2^ miles on 7 mile front, 

northwest of Chateau-Thierry. 

8. By attacks on the Marne, Americans put Germans 

on the defensive and decisively stop their drive 

after a 32 mile advance. Beo^innincr of deci- 

.* 
sive influence of American troops in the war. 

9-16. Fourth German drive on 20-mile front east of 
Montdidier, makes only small gains. 

10. American forces pierce German line f of a mile 

in Belleau Wood, northwest of Chateau 
Thierry. 
Italian naval forces sink one Austrian dread- 
naught and damage another in the Adriatic. 

11. American marines take 800 prisoners in Belleau 

Woods. 

14. Turkish troops occupy Tabriz, Persia. 

15. Official announcement that there are 800,000 

American troops in France. 

1 5-July 6. Austrian offensive against Italy fails with 
heavy losses. 



172 America in the World War 

21. Official announcement that American forces hold 
39 miles of French front in six sectors. 

30. American troops in France now number 
1,019,000. 

July 

10. Italians and French take Berat in Albania. 

13. Czecho-Slovak troops occupy Irkutsk in Siberia. 

14. Quentin Roosevelt, American aviator, killed in 

German lines near Nesle. His brother Major 
Theodore Roosevelt wounded and taken to 
Paris hospital. 

15-18. Anglo-American forces occupy strategic positions 
on the Murman Coast in northwestern Russia. 
Germans begin their fifth and last great drive 
from Vaux to Champagne region. Americans 
withdraw 4 miles, then counter-attack, driv- 
ing the Germans back to the Marne and 
capture 1,500 prisoners, including complete 
Brigade staff. This was the Third Division, 
which is credited with thus having initiated 
the "turning of the tide" against the Germans. 
16. Ex- Czar Nicholas executed by Bolsheviki. 

18-August 4. Second battle of the Marne, beginning 
with Foch's counter offensive between Soissons 
and Chateau-Thierry. French and Americans 
drive the^ Germans back from the ]Marne 
nearly to the Aisne. 

19. Germans begin retreat across the Marne. 



Chronology of the World War 173 

20. American troops have taken 17,000 prisoners and 
560 guns on the Aisne-Mame front. 

27. American troops arrive on the Italian front. 
31. President Wilson takes over telegraph and tele- 
phone systems. 

British and French drive in the Somme salient. 
Penetrate 7 miles; extended to 13 on the 9th. 

2. Allies occupy Archangel in northern Russia. 

8. Allies attack successfully near Montdidier, and 
continue the drive until the Germans are back 
at the Hindenburg line, giving up practically 
all of the ground they had gained this year. 

11. Nine American fishing smacks sunk oif Georgia 
coast by submarines. 

15. American troops land in eastern Siberia. 

17. U. S. troops east of St. Die, Vosges, capture 
Frappelle. Now 1,450,000 American troops 
in France and Asia. 

20. Marshal Foch begins drive to Aisne on 15-mile 
front. 

September 

1. Americans advance 2 miles beyond Juvigny, 
capture 600 prisoners. Australians capture 
Peronne; Americans in their first fight in 
Belgium capture Voormezeele. 

3. The United States recognizes the Czecho-Slovak 

Government. 



174 America in the World War 

5. Allies advance on a 90-mile front; Americans 
advance from the Vesle to the Aisne. 
12-13. Americans take the St. Mihiel salient near Metz ; 
160 square miles held by Germans since 1914 ; 
advance 3 miles on 30-mile front ; capture 
12,000 prisoners and 200 guns; railway from 
Toul to Verdun opened to the Allies. 

15. Allied Army under General D'Esperey begins 

campaign against Bulgarians. 

16. President Wilson receives an Austrian proposal 

for a peace conference and refuses it. 
22. Great victory of British and Arabs over Turks in 
Palestine. 

26. Americans begin a drive in the Meuse valley; 

advance 7 miles on a 20-mile front between 
the Argonne Forest and Verdun; capture 12 
towns and 5,000 prisoners. 

27. Americans capture Charpentry, Very, Epinon- 

ville, Ivoiry. French and Americans on 
20-mile front take 18,000 prisoners. 
30. Bulgaria withdraws from the war — unconditional 
surrender. British-Belgian advance reaches 
Rouliers. 

October 

1. St. Quentin (on the Hindenburg Line) captured. 

Damascus captured by the British. 
3. King Ferdinand of Bulgaria abdicates. Lens 

taken by British. 



Chronology of the World War 175 

4. Germany asks President Wilson for an armistice' 
and peace negotiations ; other notes October 
12, 20, etc.; similar notes from Austria- 
Hungary, October 7, and from Turkey, Octo- 
ber 12. Wilson replies October 8, 14, 18, 23. 

7. Beirut taken by a French fleet. 

8. Cambrai taken by British. 

9. Americans pierce the Kriemhilde line on both 

sides of the Meuse and with the French, clear 
the Argonne Forest ; U. S. bombing expedi- 
tion of 200 bombers, 100 pursuit planes, 50 
triplanes, drop 32 tons of explosives on Ger- 
man cantonment about 12 miles north of 
Verdun. 
10. Passenger ship Leinster sunk in the Irish sea; 
480 lost. This is the last German atrocity at 
sea. 

12. Americans take St. Juvin, Consenvoye woods and 

Cunel farm. They gain 5 miles on a 40-mile 
front, defeat 7 German divisions and capture 
10,000 prisoners. 

13. Laon taken by French. 

14. President Wilson's reply to Germany — military 

supremacy must be maintained ; lirutal prac- 
tices must cease. 

16. Lille taken by British after 4^2 years of hostile 

occupation. 

17. Ostend taken by Belgians. 



176 America in the World War 

24-November 11. Allied forces (chiefly Italians) 
under General Diaz win a great victory on 
the Italian front. 

26. General Ludendorff, German Chief of Staff, 
retires. Aleppo taken by British. 

3 1 . Turkey surrenders. 

November 

1. General allied advance all along the line from 

the north sea to the east edge of France; 
Americans advance to northeast of Grand Pre, 
capture 12 villages and take 3,000 prisoners, 
take Andevanne and clear the Bois des Loges. 
Serbian troops enter Belgrade after regaining 
nearly all of Serbia. 

2. Italians have taken 125,000 prisoners ; Americans 

continue to advance northwest of Verdun, 
advancing 2^ miles on a 50-mile front; in 
the last two days have taken 3,000 prisoners 
and 60 big guns. 

3. Americans reach within 4 miles of Stenay, north 

of Meuse. French and Americans clean out 
entire Argonne region, taking Chatillon-sur- 
Barre, Quatrechemps, Noirval and Les 
Ailleux. 
Trieste and Trent occupied by Italian forces. 

4. Surrender of Austria-Hungary. 

U. S. Troops penetrate Boumont and Laureville 
opposite Stenay, Les Grand Armoises with 
advance of over 3 miles. All towns on west 



Chronology of the World War 177 

bank of the'Meuse south of Halles in hands 
of the Americans; they are within 9 miles of 
Sedan. 

5. President Wilson notifies Germany that General 

Foch has been authorized by the United States 
and the Allies to communicate the terms of an 
armistice. 

6. Mutiny of German sailors at Kiel, followed by 

mutinies, revolts and revolutions at other 
German cities. 

7. American troops reach Sedan. 

8. German armistice delegates received by Marshal 

Foch. 

9. Abdication of the German Emperor William II 

and the Crown Prince ; they flee to Holland. 
November 10. 
11. Armistice signed. 



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